Growing Up Conservative
BIBLICAL POINT OF REFERENCE:
"Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God, a workman who causes no disgrace, imparting the word of truth without deviation."
~2 Timothy 2:15
I know I’ve been gone recently—you might be wondering why, or what I’ve been doing these last couple of weeks, or you may not even care. But for the sake of having to explain myself, I want you all to know that I have been adjusting to living life at home, working full time, and learning to get along with my family again, as we all share the same space now that we are all home for the summer. It’s been keeping me emotionally and physically drained, and that’s why I have taken a little vacation from writing every week. If this offends anyone, I am really sorry, and I hope you will forgive me (I don’t see how this would offend anyone, but I want to put the apology out there in case it does). So let’s start once more: I have found some new inspiration, and as SheCanLaugh turns one year old this summer, there’s so much more to celebrate! I want to begin with a question I was asked not too long ago: Do you think growing up more conservative has made you feel more lonely in school? My immediate answer was yes; I mean, a super Catholic upbringing like mine is somewhat rare in today’s world, even if one is brought up in a practicing Catholic household. I don’t think this makes me or anyone like me superior or more likely to get to Heaven (which should be our goal), but maybe it does make us more knowledgeable about what we should be seeking in life or what is truly important. Anyway, back to the actual question, I do think, in some ways, growing up conservative has made me more prone to loneliness in school. I have friends, but it’s always been a bit harder to relate to them or to specific things they go through and how they might feel about those situations. I try to see the world the way God intended it to be (which doesn’t always work), not the way I want it to be. So maybe the better question is this: Do I think it is a problem to grow up more conservative, and thus risk feeling more lonely at school? That’s an easy answer of opinion: Nope. I view this situation as one I’d rather live with because I think I will be a better person for it. By being more conservative from the beginning, I am continuously learning how to work with world viewpoints on a largely perceptive level. For me, if a friend or anyone does not like what I believe in and has a problem with it, than they are not truly a friend to me. A friend (or friends) respect each other’s beliefs and opinions, even if they don’t agree with them. Since I’m a pretty social person, I’ve always found it easy to jump around from person to person in search of new friends or acquaintances that I can have conversations with, but this can be difficult for other people—and understandably so. So I would encourage you ladies to take your life into your own hands (with God at the forefront) and not let a conservative upbringing or your religious beliefs get in the way of you making friends in an attempt to escape a certain loneliness we seem to be more familiar with. Trust me when I say that there is always someone who can relate and who believes what you believe. And that doesn’t mean shrugging off your other friends—just know who will be there for you no matter your outlook on life. Finally, be proud of growing up conservative. This doesn’t mean you’re a prude, or a snob, or even a saint; it just means you understand how God can give you a wonderful life through more traditional but powerful means. Use that to your advantage! Your Laughing Sister, Callahan
Check out the BEING GODLY WOMEN and STRENGTH quotes pages for more inspiration!
