November Days

A Matter of Perspective Part 8

There is a story I read once a long time ago and I've been thinking about it today for some reason...it's a little sweet story about perspective and sacrifice and maybe a little about ones own preconceived notions about how they are being treated.... I'll share it with you now...

........There is this lovely and so sweet elderly couple. They have been to getherfor many, many years and they are sitting down to lunch one day...it's the husbands turn to make lunch for them and he's made egg salad sandwiches and fries and a small salad and iced tea to drink. The wife sites down and a sigh escapes her and she hesitates and says "Dear, may I ask you a question?"

"Oh, of course my love" her husband replies, and she says, "Why do you always give me the heel of the bread loaf when you make sandwiches for us?" And he can tell she is a bit short with this question, like she is running out of patience with him after so many years and he takes her hand and looks into her eyes and says, "Darling, I always give you the heel because that's my favorite part."

And that's how the story ends...that author left it to the readers imagination as to what happens next.   I've always pictured it as going like this.   The wife, now knowing this...she is kinda a little bit shocked because in all the years that they have been together she has never even noticed this about her husband...that the heel is his favorite, and she feels just awful for misjudging him all these years and she fills a little stupid for being upset about it for years and having never asked about it before. They both took far too much for granted and this problem and yes it's just a small one, but if they had just talked about it instead of each one being silent about it in their own way, it would have eliminated years of mis understandings and maybe a little hard feelings ...I'd say the husband wondered why his wife never thanked him for giving away his favorite part.

I'm not sure what brought this story to mind today...Claire and I are doing amazing. Still so very much in love even after all these years...and yet I do try to keep the lessons learned from this tale in my heart and mind each day so that I do not make the same mistake that each player in the tale made...I try not to assume I know something...I had rather ask and look foolish even, then just assume something was true and not actually take the time to find out...communication is so vitally important, and I hope and pray that I never forget that. I want to spend each day with Claire like it's actually that first day we fell in love. To feel that warmth in my heart for her each day...to not take her for granted at all, to never assume that I know something about here even after all this time. That is does not hurt at all to ask and check and make sure and Claire does the same for me. Even with both of us living in this strange never ending day with so much out of our control...we still make sure to check with each other on even mundane things sometimes just to make sure.   And neither one of us care for the heel...that we give to the birds :)

Another story on perspective is this one... there is a young man driving and in a great hurry. He's late and stressed...it's a job interview he is headed to and he really needs this job. He slams on his brakes and stops at the stop light just barely. He desperately wanted to run through it but he did not want a possible ticket so he stopped. Well he's sitting there and sitting there it seems the light is stuck because it should have changed by now and he is fuming and cursing under his breath and really over stressing about maybe missing his appointment now. Then there are sirens and flashing lights and emergency vehicles blasting past him and police cars and he's wondering what in the world is going on. Well after about 15minutes more the light finally changes and he gets to drive on through. And there just a few blocks ahead is a terrible car accident that's happened. And he realizes that if that light had not stopped him he could have very well been in that wreck and possibly dead or injured and he silently thanks God for taking care of him and protecting him that even in his hurry and stress and not understanding why that light was holding him up God knew and the young man could see that he had some work to do with his own patience and understanding...so keep that in mind my friends, don't stress over getting held up...that delay might just save your life or maybe, like our young driver here, you get to your appointment just a few minutes late and still get the job and even meet your future wife who he would have missed if not for that delay.