The lie of time is that it is ours alone. But it is always borrowed from those who came before us and passed on to those who will follow. That principle should guide our choices and decisions with the understanding that the next generation will either benefit from them – or suffer as they are tasked with unraveling their aftermath.

The people I know, who don’t talk to their mothers and fathers or other close relatives, found comfort, over time, in the breakup. They did not know how to participate in a relationship that became harmful and harmful. The disagreement and different opinions within their families led to a rift. Yet, even with the separation, they are still affected. Because wounds are sometimes too deep to heal completely.

Their circumstances also demonstrate the inescapable truth for any family, town or community forced to examine itself amid controversy: A tarnished name is hard to escape.