As Jews, we are obligated to honor our parents in the way we honor God. The idea reflects a simple truth: without them, we wouldn’t be here.Such an obligation, however, is not always easily met.
I have struggled with my parents as I make sense of my childhood and what I think could have and should have been different.
At times, my relationship with them has been badly strained.
What has brought me back is my commitment to what God expects of me and what it takes to become a giving person. Forgiveness and acceptance – however difficult – are the gateway to love. Without love, resentment can reign; worse, it can become a weapon used unwittingly against the people we care about most.
I am moved daily when saying the bedtime shema. We forgive others and ask that we, too, will be forgiven. We make that expression of the heart to experience peace while we sleep.
Teshuva, repentance, and moving forward are about conquering our desire for punishment or retribution. It is how we honor each other and in so doing, honor God.
David Gregory is the moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press.” www.mtp.msnbc.com
