Perspectives

We had just completed one of our many moves. It had been an unexpected and unwelcomed move. I was tired, sad and feeling very displaced. I was trying not to let these feelings get to much hold on me. I’m pretty good at pity parties and I just didn’t want to go there.

The new house, town and neighborhood weren’t what we were used to. I felt poor and was embarrassed by our circumstances. I began pulling away from family and friends without really noticing. Then I received a gift from heaven in the shape of a small boy.

My children had been making friends with the children next door. One day, they asked my permission to bring them in. I hesitated and asked them to play out doors. “But, Mom, they really want to see the house.” I gave the okay.

The family had five children ranging in ages between twelve and one. They were Hispanic. Their English skills varied. The youngest two only spoke Spanish. My children gave them the tour. It ended in the kitchen where I was pouring milk to go with the cookies I had made earlier. Cookies overcome any language barrier!

They entered the kitchen as one would enter a great cathedral. Eyes widened in awe, voices lowered to whispers, steps hesitantly on the floor as I invited them to sit down. They spoke in their native tongue and although I don’t understand Spanish it was clear that they wanted the oldest to ask me something. I encouraged her to ask. “This house is very big. Does just your family live here?” I answered yes.

The next question, “Who owns all those books in that room?” I assured them that we did. “Are you a library?” I do have a lot of books but I am not a library. I did invite them to borrow them.

Now, they all were asking questions one tumbling after another. “How many bedrooms do you have?” “How many TV’s do you have?” “Is that your own computer?” And then the biggest question of all from the little 6yr. old boy- “Are you rich?” There was complete silence as they waited for the answer. I looked around at my home without the sad, displaced eyes that had only been seeing what we had left behind but now with eyes these children had helped to open. These eyes saw what we still had. I smiled at him with eyes now filled with tears of gratitude and answered his question.

“Yes, dear, we are rich.” Rich or poor, healthy or sick, busy or bored, etc. are some of the many things in life that are determined by our perspective.

Do you know what the snail said when he was riding on the snail’s back? -----------“WHEEEEEEEEE!”

That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?