The Blame Game — Cherie Kephart

I blame you for . . .

Wait a minute. Did you read that correctly? Yes, I am blaming you for something. Let me explain.

When my niece and her cousin were young we used to play a game called The Blame Game. It all started one day when we were goofing around and I thought about the word blame. Someone had blamed someone for doing something. It occurred to me, as it often does, that words have such powerful connotations, and yet, it's really the intention behind them that counts.

I looked at my niece and said, "I blame you for happiness."

She immediately reacted with a sincere, "Aww," and then said, "I blame you for sunshine."

My heart felt lighter, fulfilled.

My little cousin chimed in, "I blame you both for laughter."

We all laughed. Then I added, "And I blame you both for love."

And there it was. Absolute connection and joy.

That's what writing a great story is about. That's what living a great story is about. With creativity and a positive intention, we can craft words that change lives in the most wondrous ways. We can also transform our life into the one we want to live. And often, it doesn't take much. Just a little bit here or there and life is different. Grander.

So, in the spirit of blaming, I blame you for being wonderful. Whoever you are, wherever you are, and whatever you are doing right now, you are worthy of being blamed for being wholly lovable. Spread this joy to those in your life and see if we can shift blame to love.

Happy blaming!