...Before You Dive in

I as responding to an email yesterday when I noted that the sender’s surname had changed.

I was going to remark on the fact after typing my official reply, and to ask if she had just gotten married but I stopped myself because, first, we are not friends have never met in person, and only began to correspond on behalf of our bosses recently. Secondly, why on earth would I assume that because her surname changed she got married? That is such a typical way to think. She could have gotten divorced or widowed and only reverted to her maiden name. A lot of thinking but I don’t think that thinking this way is a bad thing!

And right on the heel of that thought came another that I noted sometime this year: every season we have Mother’s day, Father’s day etc. and we celebrate mothers and fathers as special people, and we pray for them and generally just….yes, go on and on. But stop for a second. Has it ever occurred to us that the mere mention of a father or a mother brings pain to some people? That they are catapulted into a period in their lives they would rather sooner forget? We truly just never think about it that way. I say this because I honestly cannot recall being anywhere where on mother or father’s day we remember the other side, or people. Hopefully we would learn to have (and share) a balanced view of life, of topics, subjects etc. And in this case, learn to commiserate with people who have had traumatic childhoods, and those who are estranged from or lost their parents. I look forward to holding hands with those who need succor and support, even as I celebrate with those who don't. I would like a community that identifies with both sides, where each can sit on the same bench, saying to one  or the another, "I got you". 

I hope we learn to look beyond the surface, and find the strength to stop ourselves when we want to dive in, and end up putting our foot in our mouths.

Be free oh 

Link: please read Emily Freeman's book, "Simply Tuesday"
Photo Courtesy Google images.