Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Perceptions

* No matter what age you are there is always someone you perceive as being "old"- this was brought home when a dear sister called and asked about another lady who is older than her and made a joke about the lady's age. There are many people my age who would call the first sister "old" but here she is joking about someone else being old! She's the first one to make me smile today!

* It doesn't matter how tired you are, there's a good chance there's someone else even more exhausted out there. I thought I was tired until I talked to my husband who's been working since 2:30 this morning (did you hear about the trailer leaking in Colerain? That was him helping to clean it up.) This is in addition to his normal working hours. Makes me seem like a whiner in comparison!

* During a conversation recently someone called another person "strange" and I had to point out that we are ALL strange in one way or another. Because we didn't all grow up in identical homes, raised by some universal manual of child-rearing we all view the world in different ways and tend to see others as being "strange or weird" when in reality we are just as strange and weird to them as they are to us. In the end it doesn't matter because we all have to learn to love and get along with others, no matter how differently they view the world. Besides, we might just learn a thing or two from their perspective, if we give them a chance.

* If you ever feel like you don't fit in somewhere... re-read the above statement. Just as a puzzle has many different (and often strange) pieces, we all have a certain place in this puzzle called life too.

* You can't know the strength of your anchor unless you go through some storms.

* It's possible to be happy and sad at the same time. I'm so happy for dear friends who have had their prayers answered and are looking forward to new experiences, but I'm also sad to know that they will be moving on and I won't see them on a regular basis. I'll miss that.

* Sometimes we don't notice things that are right in front of us. That can be messy when it's cat barf. It's much worse when it's something we should be showing gratitude for.

4 comments:

Papa D said...

Amen, Patty - on all counts. Thank you for this.

chelle said...

Great thoughts!

Mama D said...

Thanks for sharing these insights. They are wonderful life lessons from which each of us can learn. I have definitely been discovering how strong my anchor is, and how to appreciate mixed blessings.

Papa D said...

Patty, I posted your third paragraph (about all of us being strange and learning from each other) on a group blog for members who are struggling in some way, and I want to share parts of two of the responses with you:

1) "She gets it."

2) "That is a mature response and viewpoint. What a great person to be in charge of compassionate service."

On those days when you can't understand why you were called to your current position, please remember those words - with which I agree 100%.