Ah My Relatives!

Last week, it became obvious to me that people can only accomplish that which they are able to dream of.

I have a estranged sister. She was always following the wrong path and always hated me because I always did as told. That is, if my mother said something was dangerous or wrong, I stayed away from it. My sister, on the other hand, made it a regular practice to contradict Mother, seeking for trouble and disobeying at the first opportunity.

I went on to graduate from university, to have a half-decent career, and to marry a man that looked great on paper--and turned out great in real life too.

My sister married a loser, the son of a sophisticated beggar who made a living of visiting well-off people and getting monetary handouts and gifts of all kinds--my mother was one of the benefactors.

A few years ago, her hatred of me increased to the point that she didn't allow me to see her sons anymore, and she stayed away from me too. She convinced other friends and relatives that I was evil. Eventually, she withdrew from the world as well. I don't know why, but I suspect that they owed money to everybody and she was embarrassed by that. Needless to say, they were poor and miserable and expected others to hand them money for their survival. Not surprisingly, they are now divorced.

Last week, I saw my nephews for the first time in six years. I cried when I saw them because I love them very much. Soon I found out that they did not graduate from high school. The older one, 21, is married, has a child, and lives in a stinky basement suite.

His wife, perhaps looking for my endorsement, raised the issue that he should finish high school. I agreed, saying that even if he doesn't want to go to college right now, he may want to finish school so he can go to college later if he so chooses. He said that he had troubled thinking of the future, because as it was, he was missing $50.00 to pay rent, but he knew his brother, or one of his friends, could give him the money.

Then I realized that for him, living well meant swindling people for money and barely making the bills every month. He has never known a better reality, so he thinks that living under the poverty line is being prosperous.

What do I do with that? Sure I would like to help him, but I don't want to encourage his pitiful lifestyle. I wold like to open his eyes to bigger and greater things, but unfortunately, I aren't God. I have severe limitations.

If I invite him to my house and serve him an awesome meal and treat him like royalty, he is going to think I am showing off, or that he can try harder to get money off me.

I have started to understand why prosperity gurus recommend hanging out with richer people, to stay at fancy hotels once in a while, and to eat out at fancy restaurants when possible. If we do that, I believe, we will have in our brain the pictures we need to dream up prosperity, to create greater goals.

As sad as I am about my nephews' fate, I am also glad that I was able to learn something. As to how to help them, I don't have a solution yet, but I am waiting for the universe to let me know.