Cycles of Time

They say that certain behaviors just cycle through from one generation to the next, to the next, to the next. You want to know what you'll look like in twenty years, take a good hard look at your parents.

What if your parents aren't there to look at? What if one or both of them left you, left each other? Does that mean you are doomed to do the same? Should you even try? What if you do try but find yourself falling into the same cycle over and over again?

My mom is a constant nag. She can shoot my dad down with just a look. I don't want to be like that. But I have found myself defaulting to that behavior time and time again. Fortunately I can recognize it and I do my best to correct it.

But what if I was unable to recognize it? What if I wasn't so aware of my behavior and couldn't see just how closely it had come to that of my mother?

I suppose the best we can do is look back, learn, and move forward. And for those who don't want to look back, for those who think they don't need to learn... cycle through, my friend.