A Blended Family Makes You Wiser

If there is one thing I discovered being raised in a blended family,
It is that blended families make you wiser.
A profound wisdom built on lessons learned,
Discoveries made and precious gains:
The main tools for survival,
The keys to personal growth,
The secret to finding happiness,
The reason to believe in love.
Yes, being part of a blended family makes you wiser.
I became smarter than ever before!
You may, or may not become smarter at math, algebra or history,
But you will become smarter in life and love.
Your emotional intelligence is the one that develops.
You learn to adapt to live with others, even if not by choice.
You learn to share, even if you don´t want to.
You learn to fight, to be strong and stand your ground,
You learn to make your point and be heard loud and clear.
Of course, sometimes you may offend, damage or hurt,
Or suffer the same in return.
But something blended families teach you is to forgive and forget.

You may also discover that skin color doesn’t define you,
You are just another son or daughter
And all your siblings have different shades.
Shades, not only given by skin,
But given by their unique personalities
And the particular sensitivity within each of their hearts.
Your mind opens its doors and you start to realize
That no particular belief makes you better.
Your brother may call his God Buddha,
Your sister may praise Allah,
You may worship Christ on the cross,
Or any other, or even none at all,
But you all share the same mom and dad.
So there you are within this colorful group of children
Who all share the same parents.
Who all receive punishment and praise.
Who all receive love, support and hugs.
So you learn respect.
To respect different skin colors, beliefs, cultures and opinions.
And you discover that coexistence and peace are there to be found,
By accepting and learning to love and embrace these differences,
And by opening your mind to learn from them.
Yes, I became wiser thanks to my blended family,
And most of all, I became a better person.

~ Gerardo Campbell

Find more great blended family poems here.