Sacrifice

Sacrifices are difficult, especially when it involves giving up something or someone, or passing up opportunities to do something you have always wanted.

But I guess one has to believe that it is for the greater good, for a larger benefit, for an even better opportunity. 

I have to keep telling myself that, in order to stick to the "sacrificial rules" I have made for myself.

I wonder if it will be worth it though - each time I give up a chance to do something I would normally like to do.

I wonder if the benefit will be greater than the sacrifice I have made.

Those I make for my children, I make without hesitation, without any expectation of a future or greater benefit or opportunity - at least not for myself. These sacrifices I make with joy, without hesitation, hardship or sorrow.

But those I make either because I need to prove a point in order to gain a better opportunity or benefit, or teach someone a much needed lesson or, in the hope that maybe a particular circumstance or situation will improve or change?

For me, those sacrifices are the toughest to make, as there are always doubts that they will truly be worth it, the fear that the chance/s will never come again and I've blown it for a faint, VERY faint hope that things will be different or that a lesson will be learned.

In those times, I always ask, won't it be better to be selfish and just NOT make the sacrifice that seems necessary? After all, a bird in hand is worth two in the bush, or as someone I know says, half bread is better than "puff-puff"! And, why bother to try to improve another person's outlook or attitude? Why not just leave them be?

What really is the point of sacrifice, the type that is made in the hope of something better for one's self, the "selfish sacrifice"? 

I have thought about this and the only answer I could come up with was a single word.

"Hope".

Hope that things will be better.

Hope that a person will be better.

Hope that you are trading in a lesser chance for a greater one.

 

I HOPE that all my sacrifices will be worth my while, that I will get my "two birds in the bush" by giving up my "bird in hand", that I will later get a bowl of freshly fried hot & soft puff-puff by giving up or passing on the half bread I could get immediately.

I HOPE so, because, if my two birds turn out to be non-existent or worse still, dead birds or the puff puff is just not nice - person go don jones be dat o! Dat no go good o!