Emerald’s Gem Box: I hear voices

There’s a country song named “Voices” that explains how he (the singer) walks around hearing voices in his mind. The voices are from his parents and grandparents and the lessons that they taught him through the years. Such as his Dad telling him to “Work that job, but don’t work your life away” and “Quit that team and you’ll be a quitter for the rest of your life.” His Mom telling him to “Drop some cash in the offering plate, on Sunday,” and to “Say a prayer, every time you lie down at night,” his Grandma saying “If you find the one, you better treat her right” and his Granddad saying “You can have a few, but don’t ever cross that line.”

Our voices in our heads are also commonly referred to as our conscience. I think that a conscience is created in our early years from what we are taught (or not taught). When we are having trouble making choices, then those voices in our heads are to help us guide our way through our decisions.

As we grow older, we don’t have someone with us, at all times, helping us to find our way through this crazy life. It’s times like that; I appreciate those voices in my mind. Voices that my Dad and Mom instilled in me at a very young age and that still follow me around every day, and whisper in my ear.

“There’s nothing worse than a thief or a liar.” Which was often followed with, “A thief will lie and a liar will steal.”
“Always act like a lady.”
“Quitters never win and winners never quit.”
“Always look for the Silver Lining in everything.”
“Will this really matter in 10 years?”
“Whatever you do today, you will have to live with tomorrow.”
“If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.”
“You’ve got to stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.”
“Respect your elders.”
“Respect other people’s personal property.”
“God, Family and Country.”

My brothers were taught to “treat a lady with respect” and I was taught that a real gentleman would/should always show me that same respect.
And the words “I love you” were always the most commonly used words within our family.

The word “can’t” was not allowed to be used, in our diction. For we were taught that we COULD do anything we put our mind to. If we said “I can’t do it” then my Dad made us do it until it was done, just so he could say, “See. You CAN do it.”

And the ever-famous “It don’t rain on Harvey Greene Hill.” Which meant, rain or shine, we got up and we went to work…every day…and we worked hard!
Proverbs 22:6 says: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

When all is said and done – and we’re buried six feet underground – our riches and values will be forgotten. But, we will always be remembered for how we lived our life and how we treated others.