Rebuilding

As the Jewish Community prepares for the annual celebration of Hannukah, the 8 day feast of the re-dedication of the Temple, a time of candles and light in our dark, December days, we might reflect on the need for hope and the truth that no matter how bad the situation might be, there is always the possibility of rebuilding, moving forward, and ending up with something even better.  
Raising teens has never been easy, but it seems to be ever more challenging these days.  Multiple choices (not all good) face them on all sides, and being "kids" they succumb.  And who's to say that we don't either?  But as it took time and patience to rebuild the temple, so it will take time and patience to help our offspring learn from their mistakes. Our first instinct is anger or even sadness at how they have taken our love and slapped it in the face by doing the opposite of what we've taught them or what our expectations have been.   We all, then, have to start from scratch and build block by block, principle by principle, value by value.  In the end we have young adults who are even stronger than previously, having learned valuable lessons from their poor choices.  They have become a light in the darkness and a cause for rejoicing.
Bro. Rene