Life is full of many lessons that we all must learn. Some learn the hard way, while others allow the wisdom of the instruction and experience of others to inform their practices. We see this in history, family systems, and the people around us. We must not be so full of pride that we won’t allow the lived experience of others to teach us what not to do.

 This is not to say that any of us can avoid failure. It is a part of life. But we can learn from the wisdom of those who have gone before us. We do not have to make the same mistakes they did, and we can start from a place of humble understanding. We can see this play out in the sciences. We have a basis of working knowledge, theories, and discoveries. We build upon what has already been discovered so we can go further. Let’s do this with our spiritual lives as well. Peter Anello Adjutant/Chaplain Post 129