Perception.... I have been thinking a lot about how two (or more) people can experience the exact same thing, at the exact same time and each have a different perception of what happened.... for example...
MOVING: I loved moving when I was growing up. I loved the change that went with it. My sister on the other hand hated it. She was just 18 months older and two grades above me yet it made a huge difference in how we felt. I couldn't understand what the big deal was to her. Now looking back and realizing that for her it was a new junior high school and then a new high school was a lot bigger deal then fifth grade and seventh grade was.
I also didn't understand why my parents didn't really like to move either. Like I said I loved the moving process as a kid. I got to watch everyone else do the work, but now that I am the adult and have to do the work, it is not so fun!!
STORMS: I used to want to hide in the basement corner if there was even a slight thunder storm. I remember tornado sirens going off in the night at my grandparents in South Dakota. We would hurry to the basement to ride it out. (I think my grandpa Duppy would have slept through them if we weren't there.) One time I left my stuffed animals upstairs, so Duppy ran up to get them. My grandma got upset at me because to her, the love of her life was putting himself in danger to save some stupid stuffed animals. To me, my hero, my indestructible Duppy, was saving precious lives!!
Then one summer I was visiting my Aunt Jaci. A huge thunderstorm came rolling in. I got really nervous, she didn't have a basement to hide in. To make it worse, she lived in a mobile home that made each crackle and boom ten times louder! My brave Aunt sat in front of the large window with a calm, peaceful look on her face. I couldn't believe she was just sitting there, enjoying herself! She coxed me to come sit by her. She told me to watch the storm. She showed me its beauty as lightning danced across the sky. We counted from the flash of lighting until the boom and roar of the thunder, then giggle when it made us jump. She took the time to share her love of storms and helped me to change my perception of them. (every time it storms I am so thankful for my brave Aunt Jaci and my heroic Dubby)
FIGHTING: When Brian and I argue or fight, the girls think we are mad at each other and may not love each other as much. When really we are just voicing our differences, and often times love each other more afterwards.
When my girls fight, they each tell a different story of what happened. Some times I even witness the fight and their stories still don't make sense or even seem like the truth to me.
I guess what I really have been thinking about perception is why do we always think the way we perceive things is the "right" way or the "only" way? Wouldn't that mean that either my sister or I was wrong, or lied about our experience moving? Wouldn't I have to either fear or love storms? And what about fighting, is there always a right or a wrong, a truth or a lie????
I think we all need to "walk in one another's shoes" or try seeing things from their perception. AND STOP JUDGING!!!! (and yes, I need to do this more in my life....)
MOVING: I loved moving when I was growing up. I loved the change that went with it. My sister on the other hand hated it. She was just 18 months older and two grades above me yet it made a huge difference in how we felt. I couldn't understand what the big deal was to her. Now looking back and realizing that for her it was a new junior high school and then a new high school was a lot bigger deal then fifth grade and seventh grade was.
I also didn't understand why my parents didn't really like to move either. Like I said I loved the moving process as a kid. I got to watch everyone else do the work, but now that I am the adult and have to do the work, it is not so fun!!
STORMS: I used to want to hide in the basement corner if there was even a slight thunder storm. I remember tornado sirens going off in the night at my grandparents in South Dakota. We would hurry to the basement to ride it out. (I think my grandpa Duppy would have slept through them if we weren't there.) One time I left my stuffed animals upstairs, so Duppy ran up to get them. My grandma got upset at me because to her, the love of her life was putting himself in danger to save some stupid stuffed animals. To me, my hero, my indestructible Duppy, was saving precious lives!!
Then one summer I was visiting my Aunt Jaci. A huge thunderstorm came rolling in. I got really nervous, she didn't have a basement to hide in. To make it worse, she lived in a mobile home that made each crackle and boom ten times louder! My brave Aunt sat in front of the large window with a calm, peaceful look on her face. I couldn't believe she was just sitting there, enjoying herself! She coxed me to come sit by her. She told me to watch the storm. She showed me its beauty as lightning danced across the sky. We counted from the flash of lighting until the boom and roar of the thunder, then giggle when it made us jump. She took the time to share her love of storms and helped me to change my perception of them. (every time it storms I am so thankful for my brave Aunt Jaci and my heroic Dubby)
FIGHTING: When Brian and I argue or fight, the girls think we are mad at each other and may not love each other as much. When really we are just voicing our differences, and often times love each other more afterwards.
When my girls fight, they each tell a different story of what happened. Some times I even witness the fight and their stories still don't make sense or even seem like the truth to me.
I guess what I really have been thinking about perception is why do we always think the way we perceive things is the "right" way or the "only" way? Wouldn't that mean that either my sister or I was wrong, or lied about our experience moving? Wouldn't I have to either fear or love storms? And what about fighting, is there always a right or a wrong, a truth or a lie????
I think we all need to "walk in one another's shoes" or try seeing things from their perception. AND STOP JUDGING!!!! (and yes, I need to do this more in my life....)
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