Perspective

Perspective differentiates us, and that isn’t always a bad thing.

Your perspective on this photo is different from mine. To you, it may be a picture that keeps your interest for a couple of seconds before you’re distracted by something else. Or one that wasn’t worth posting in the first place. Or one you can’t look away from because you can’t quite figure out what it’s actually a picture of. But for me, it’s a reminder of a fun afternoon spent with a friend.

Your perspective on this month might be a reminder of frantic writing as you try to reach your NaNoWriMo goal. Or it might be the excitement that comes between Halloween and Christmas. Or it might be grumbling about having to get through another cold, icy winter. But for me, it’s usually all three.

Your perspective could be that this is American Thanksgiving weekend, which means family and food and friends. Or it could be Black Friday weekend, which means sales and shopping and smiles. Or it could be just another weekend at home, which means comfort and coziness and cuddling. But for me, Sunday is the first anniversary of the day we lost my dad, which means…

Well. I probably I don’t have to tell you what it means. We have some amazing people in our lives, though, who have helped us to get through this past year, and who’ll help us get through this weekend. I’m incredibly grateful for them, and for the sympathy they’ve shown me and my family. Many of them lost my dad, too, in their own ways. But because we each have our own perspective–of my dad, of the love we had for him and for each other, and of our pain–we’re able to help each other.

Perspective differentiates us, but it can bring us together, too. And there’s a sort of beauty in that, don’t you think?