Perspective is everything

Cary Friedman in his book “Wisdom from the Batcave” writes, “Did you ever notice that people rarely appreciate what they have until they don’t have it anymore?  It is a sad reality that few of us recognize our blessings until they disappear…blessings that go unrecognized go unappreciated.”  Perspective is everything.  For instance, I’m irritated by those commercials that promote how difficult it is to sleep just because their spouse is snoring.  The reality is it is an amazing gift to have a spouse sleep next to you every night.  Just ask Gracie Parrish, a woman who became a widow earlier this month when her husband, Deputy Zackari Parrish, was murdered.  Perspective is everything.  So what if your spouse snores?

  

I was recently made aware of another example of this subject matter.  New England Patriots left guard, Nick Solder, and his wife Lexi, had their world turned upside-down in 2015 when their son, Hudson, was diagnosed with Wilms tumors a rare pediatric disease.  Hudson was only three months old at the time.  The Solder’s family continues to bravely fight this horrific fight to this day.  “I have a different perspective now because I see how frail everything is,” Nick said.  “The air we breathe is precious.  To be at this game [Super Bowl 51] is a sign that you aren’t able to choose what you get but you can get some amazing things in life.”  (Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/patriots/2017/01/31/nate-solder-son-cancer-new-england-super-bowl-2017/97290770/).  I know about how fleeting health can be, both as an adult or a child.  It’s not a gift to be taken for granted.  Perspective is everything.

Of course, it would be negligent of me to not mention my dad in this subject matter.  A 15 year old once wrote this to Rebecca St. James, “Give your dad a hug and tell him you love him, for he won’t be on earth forever.  It took the death of my father for me to realize that.”  Such a sentiment obviously hits me hard.  My dad was a special man.  I wasn’t ignorant to the fact that God gave me one of the most selfless individuals ever for a dad.  But had I known that the days with my dad would be less than anyone would have ever guessed, I would have cherished them more than I did.  Perspective is everything.

I could go on.  I could mention the gift of having a job, or having a reliable car.  But you get the point.  It’s easy to carp and complain about our lot in life, but let’s not forget about the gifts we have been given.  Let me conclude with Friedman’s book “Wisdom from the Batcave” again.  “Think about what a happy place the world would be if we recognized that we already have what we really want and need in life…What if, instead of fantasizing about money, glory and our adoring public, we dreamed of growing old with our spouses, watching our grandchildren grow and develop?  Those are wishes that are within our grasp.”

Kevin