When we shift our perception, our experience changes. -Lindsay Wagner
My husband and I took a road trip with our kids over Christmas break. As per usual, I spent much of the journey turned around facing backward, attempting to mitigate a sibling feud or get someone a snack, or both. At one point on the icy highway, a sharp intake of breath from my husband caused me to quickly turn forward again. What I saw completely terrified me.
I could have sworn in that moment that we were headed directly into oncoming traffic with no ability to get out of the way.
What actually happened was he was in the left-hand traveling lane cruising along perfectly fine and had slipped on a small patch of ice. He had already recovered control of the car, but for a few minutes afterwards I was still shaken from what I thought I had perceived.
That makes me wonder, how much of what we perceive is untrue, a lie, completely different than what we thought. I’d say 100 damn percent… everything we see is shown to us through the lens of our past and our current situation. How can we possibly see something without it’s being skewed by our history, our drama. It’s no wonder we can’t see the viewpoints of those around us, when we cannot see beyond our angst-ridden adolescence.
This would be where the ideas of compassion and empathy are meant to shine. Unfortunately, while these are inherent in youth, many adults seem to lack these basic human qualities. They must be nurtured by gratitude and led by example. Too many of us have been hardened by our experiences – which should not define us in the least. We are all human, all fragile, all vulnerable at our core. I wish more of us could remember that.
Dang, that drive was treacherous. Thanks for getting us home safe, honey.
If you enjoy these ramblings, please take a moment to subscribe to this blog via email!
Encounter Soul 