I am blessed to be able to say that in just over a year I will complete thirty years as a marriage and family counselor. During that time period I have counseled literally thousands of men, women, boys and girls. I have not only counseled them, but I have offered a mentoring program to some of them in which they receive a series of weekly lessons related to life skills, counseling issues, fulfilling one’s calling, impacting those whom God sets in our pathway, et cetera.
However, I am happy to say that my teaching skills are not
limited to the mentoring program but also include the counseling program. In my teaching I have interacted with various clients, and interns about the
beauty of role modeling. (Obviously, there is such a thing as bad role modeling
and that ‘ain’t’ all that beautiful).
And I have often shared a personal illustration.
Sometimes I think I hear something of my Scottish great great
great Grandfather’s choice of words, or inflections in my voice. Granted, any verbal
inflections in my admittedly southern voice, or choice of words are highly
diluted two centuries after his passing. But there are times when I find myself
responding to someone’s comment with an “eh?” Or I might absent mindedly
respond in the affirmative with an “aye.” And I surprise myself. And I can only
wonder if five generations later the faintest afterglow of old Isham McDonald
remains.
by William McDonald, PhD
(to be continued)
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