“When you look at a field of dandelions you can either see a hundred weeds or a hundred wishes.”

It’s interesting how quickly life can be put into proper perspective.    As you know from yesterday’s blog we have been dealing with our daughter Ashley’s injury this week.  As a quick update, today we went to the physical therapist and they said they think she will be ready to have surgery on her knee before Christmas, which will be a blessing so that she can recover over the holiday without missing too much more school.  So fingers crossed on that. When we finished her appointment she had to do her leg exercises that are necessary to prepare her leg for surgery.  The exercises were painful for her and she was frustrated at her body’s lack of ability to do the things it can normally do.  Watching her struggle with it broke my heart as I know how difficult this experience is for her.  But I watched her push through it and I am really proud of her for how well she is handling all of this. 

What happened next really brought this latest challenge we are facing crashing into perspective. I sat down to read my emails that came in today and the first one I opened was an email letting me know that the father of a girl Ashley’s age in our area we live had died suddenly at the age of 55 while doing his morning workout yesterday.  We were stunned.  He seemed to be in perfect health and they were such a darling family.  All we could think about was how devastating this was for this family.  How difficult to lose a father and husband at such a young age.  We couldn’t even imagine the pain they are going through tonight.   Our prayers go out to this family and the heartbreak they must be going through.

And just like that, our trials were put into proper perspective.  As difficult as the challenge and injury Ashley is facing, things could be so much more difficult.  We are blessed that she is healthy in every way and that everyone in our family is alive and well.  We are blessed that we have good support and a strong faith to see us through tough times.  Yes, there are challenges to be overcome right now and in no way do I want to minimize the fact that Ashley is going to have a difficult road to recovery ahead and sad loss of the sport she loves, because all of that is difficult and challenging and Ashley should be praised for handling this challenge with grace and courage.  But there is no question that when we look at this challenge with this new reminder of keeping a proper perspective, our family felt blessed indeed for the positive things that we have in our lives.  And we feel grateful that things are not worse than the challenges we have.

Things can always be worse, and there is always someone else facing more difficult circumstances than we are facing. And as hard as it is to remember that when we are feeling down, if we can keep that perspective in mind I believe that it can truly help us to turn our feelings from sadness to gratitude quickly.  Today we began our day looking at the field of dandelions and seeing a hundred weeds in Ashley’s circumstances, but after reading that email tonight about this father’s death, we looked our same field of dandelions and saw them as a hundred wishes, and we realized how lucky we are.  It wasn’t our own circumstances that had changed in any way; it was simply that things were put into proper perspective and we were looking it things differently now. 

Seeing things differently and in proper perspective is an ability of that each of us has to use at any time that we choose.  Hopefully I will get to a point in my own life that use that ability daily rather than needing external reminders to put me back in the right frame of mind.  Life is far more beautiful when we see those dandelions for the beauty they hold. 

Have a great Wednesday everyone!  And may your day be full of gratitude and hope and a hundred wishes!

~Amy

Life is Beautiful and so is Ashley! Keep Smiling!

3 Comments

  • Leslie says:

    It brought back memories when I read your title. When you children were all young, I penned this one day:

    PERSPECTIVE

    “Oh, Mother!”
    she cried
    with eyes aglow,
    “Spring is really here!
    I know!
    I just saw the most BEAUTIFUL Dandelion!”
    A dandelion!
    Not an hour ago,
    in the self-same spot,
    I shook my head in disgust
    and thought,
    “Such ugly weeds!”
    The soft yellow balls
    spoke only of toil;
    of my summer-long battle
    to save the soil
    from this small enemy.
    Oh, ‘Father,’
    to be as a child
    and see
    Life’s Beauty-
    instead of
    Adversity!

    -Leslie Pearson Rees

    Much love to Ashley.

  • Leslie says:

    Hmmm..PERSPECTIVE was supposed to appear at the top- as a title. But maybe you get the idea!

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