While browsing antique shops with my husband, I was inadvertently following a little girl and her mother; she must have been about 7. Her straggly, long brown hair reminded me of my own at that age. At her mother’s request she was careful not to touch anything, and quite honestly, she didn’t look interested in anything enough to try; and everyone knew this was the last place she wanted to be.
Her mom came upon something and exclaimed, “Oh! I had this when I was little!”
Her daughter glanced over, wrinkled her nose and replied with a sarcastic, “Really?”
A few shelves later her mother once again said, “Oh, this too” and then squealed, “Oh my! Look - this doll was my favorite!” Her expression was that almost of a little girl as she picked it up, holding it for her daughter to see.
Without skipping a beat the little girl looked and very seriously asked, “Mom, did they only have old, dirty toys when you were little?”
I couldn’t help but laugh as her mother shook her head and said, “Honey, they were new back then!”
I decided to head down another aisle and didn’t hear the response. It did however make me wonder... how many times have I experienced this?
Perspective is a funny thing, it allows two people to see the exact same object or be involved in the same set of circumstances and yet, each have their own point of view and thus see things differently.
The mother at the antique shop looked at the items and saw treasured childhood memories; while her daughter just saw dirty old toys. I certainly hope she was able to explain to her daughter the joy she had playing with those toys when they were new; and equally hope that her daughter was able to see past the dirt and share in her mom’s nostalgic moments. It's all about being willing to see the other's view.
I pray, that every single time I’m not seeing eye to eye, I'm able to recognize it doesn't mean we will never see things from the same angle, we just aren't at that moment. I also pray I'm willing to change my perspective when needed to always choose joy, no matter what the circumstance.
“A joyful heart is like good medicine,
but a broken spirit drains your strength.”
0 Comments