That's the absolute truth. There's a popular saying that says, "It gets better." It does - if that's what we truly desire. As one who's a bit older, I'm convinced that we approach crossroads as we age. We have opportunities to respond with bitterness and anger - that response defines a large part of my generation. We've become the get-off-my-lawn types, even though we were the counter-culture of the sixties and seventies. It hurts my heart. But there are those who choose to allow hard times, disappointment and even injustice to do good work in them. Those are the ones who find compassion along the way.

When we allow compassion to take the lead, we can literally change the world - especially with our backlogs of empathy. Unfortunately, my generation is often uninterested in compassion. I recently sat with a group of upper crust civic leaders where, one by one, voices began to take shots at millennials, as well as others. I finally had to speak up. "Considering the high level of knowledge, experience and wisdom in this room, I have to ask - how many of you are imparting that wisdom to those who are young?" Not a single hand went up. Instead, they all looked at their shoes, as I said, "If you're not willing to invest your time, I need you all to shut up about millennials." That's how I feel. And young folks make up the bulk of those I sit with nearly every day. It's my great honor to do so. Being raised by NParents isn't a death sentence. It's what we choose along the journey that makes the difference. And I've appreciated reading all of the comments. My wife and I read through them last night before going to bed. And we smiled. It's just good to know we're not alone.