Through Your Eyes to Mine

red mums
You and I were taking our first stroll through Botanic Gardens since my knee replacement surgery and it was like old times!  As we always do after we walk out of the visitors center, we swung right to walk down to the water through the Ellipse with it's brilliantly colored mums contrasting with the boxwood hedges. It's fall at the Garden.  I am glad we didn't miss it! 

Down by the water, we noticed the mostly red and a little bit of green plant life on the water’s surface.  I hadn’t seen this before.    

“Take a close up of the red and green on the water." I said.  

chicago botanic gargen

“Oh, now take one that shows more perspective or we’ll never remember what this was.”  

chicago botanic gargen

"I think it’s kind of like life," I said.  
"You know when I’m in the middle of it all, 
and I can’t see 
how this is going to fit 
in with the rest of my life
and have NO perspective . . .
And I need someone like you  
to help me see the bigger picture.

And then I got to thinking today about how sometimes I’m not ready to hear another perspective. 
It makes me feel like you are trying to fix me, so I’ll feel better and you’ll feel better.

Sometimes the best you can do is “be with me” and believe for me until I can begin to believe again.  

And Honey, you have gotten really good at that.

We're both learning together and I love being on this journey of life with you.

Love, Me

perspective

As always your comments/thoughts are welcomed here.

joining with Unforced Rhythms & Kelli Woodward  - And excellent post today "Pain as a Bridge."  Take time to read it.  You'll be blessed.

11 Replies to “Through Your Eyes to Mine”

  1. Beautiful. Perspective is truly helpful. And that garden is lovely. Thank you for sharing. It’s so good to have you back and walking through life once again!

  2. This post says so much. Some of the meaning is within the words, but I sense so much beyond your words, too. The gentle way relationships ebb and flow and the constant tenacity of commitment in it all, the humility of acknowledging another perspective, the conversational tone that opens up into depths unawares.

    What a treat to read this linked up at Unforced Rhythms today. Thank you, friend.

    1. Kelli, I love your words here “the constant tenacity of commitment” – yes, 44 years of marriage (December) and your words are rich with meaning. And it’s worth it. thanks for stopping by.

  3. Dear Carol … so cool to see you writing again, walking, penning truth about the yearning we have for a loved one just to be present, to be, to walk.

    With no advice or easy answers.

    Just a trusting kind of love …

    1. I have a friend who walked with me through the loss of my brother 9 years ago. I called him the “friend with no answers.” I hated it when people tried to “fix it” for me.

  4. It’s so helpful to remember this about perspective, isn’t it? Unfortunately, for me at least, the time I need it the most is when I’ve LOST it – and seems like then I’m not so interested.

    When I’ve lost my perspective, it’s hard to accept the perspective of another person. I tend to reject it telling myself, “my circumstance is different….they don’t know this or that.”

    Currently I’m seeing how pain (in this case physical, but could also be emotional/mental, etc.) has the power to radically impact perspective.

    1. Rebecca, Oh yes, pain drastically alters perspective. Sometimes those are the times we need someone to be with us in our pain. and believe for us this is not all there is. That is the most precious of all. I wish i were there to give you a hug or whatever it is that helps you during this time when pain is a companion. Praying for you this morning.

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