William Shakespeare remains one of the most famous playwrights and poets of all time. And while he attended grammar school to master reading, writing, and Latin, his parents and children were almost entirely illiterate. The ability to read and write wasn’t necessary during the Elizabethan era, and while Shakespeare’s father, John, might have had a basic level of literacy, he signed his name with a mark instead of his full name. William’s two daughters could not read or write at all.
Things are not necessarily passed down from generation to generation.
You are not doomed to a life of addiction because your mom or dad was an addict. The same goes for your children. The Bible speaks of “generational sins” (Ezekiel 34:7). It’s important to understand the context.
In Old Testament times, no one ever left home. So kids were raised in the homes of their parents and grandparents. So rather than being exposed to parental behaviors for 18 years, it was for life. So the lifestyles of one’s immediate family members carried profound significance.
Recovery Step: Do not live in the shadow of another person’s addiction. Chart a new path.
