Salvation

Connecting Through Experience- "Mothers"

We would all probably like some things in our lives to be different. Before you read the essay that follows, see if you can think of something in your life that you wish was different. If that "something" were different, how might it change your life? Would everything be better? Might anything be worse?

I have always wondered what my life would be like if my father was a part of my life. I have never really "wished" that he had been there, because my mother was always able to play both roles. However, when things happened that would remind me of the absence of my father, such as a father-daughter dance at school, or a TV show about a perfect family like "7th Heaven", it would make my heart feel empty like there was a big hole there that my mother alone would never fill. If my father was there, I believe things would be better because not only would it probably make things better as far as finances, but I might have a younger brother or sister, which I have always wanted. The only thing I can imagine that would be worse is that he might be more strict than my mother and I might not have as much freedom as I do. Other than that, I believe that the presence of my father would have made my life a lot better.

Connecting Through Experience- "Salvation"

The desire for approval can be a very strong incentive when making important decisions. Making a decision that meets with the disapproval of our parents or others we respect can be difficult and emotionally painful--even if we believe that we've made the right choice. We may even have strong ethical reasons for taking a position, yet feel reluctant to disappoint those with whom we have emotional ties. Try to recall an event in your life when the pressure of approval was a major factor in an important decision. Try