The “D” Word
If there’s one word, aside from your run-of-the-mill profanity, that really rubs me the wrong way, it’s the word “deserve.” As in, you “deserve” a vacation. You “deserve” a break. At the heart of these sentiments is a sense of entitlement, a sense that your situation is different from everyone else’s. Plenty of people who have earned (a much better substitute word) a break from the hard knocks in life don’t get one. Plenty of people who would make safe and loving parents aren’t blessed with a baby. Plenty of people who are wise with their money end up in financial ruin. We may not know right now why horrendous things happen to wonderful, honest, loving, giving people, but the fact remains that they do. Who are we to declare that we deserve what others may never have?
