Picture in your mind a calm
lake, its surface like glass reflecting the sky and
the full trees along its edge. A short distance from
shore a flock of geese float smoothly along the
surface.
With their
long necks extended gracefully, they barely create a
ripple on the surface of the lake.
That picture
is very serene.
But below the
surface of the water are a bunch of legs furiously
churning.
This
lake scene teaches us a lesson: things are not
always as they appear.
A smiling face
may not reflect a broken heart.
A sleeping
child may not reflect nightmares being dreamed. An
efficient worker may not reflect the nervous
approval-seeker. A responsible adult may not reflect
the hurting, angry child within.
Tonight we can think about the appearances we
reflect to others. Are we like the smoothly floating
geese, not letting anyone see our struggles?
Tonight, we
can learn that keeping up appearances is really for
the birds!
I
think one must learn a different, less urgent
sense
of time here, one that depends more on small
amounts than big ones.
-- Sister
Mary Paul
Up until the beginning of
our adult lives, our growth depended on big moments:
graduation from high school, leaving home, marriage,
or entry into the job force.
Now that
we're adults, we still may have expectations that
our lives will be composed of big moments.
But things aren't always so momentous. Job
promotions happen over time, as do salary increases.
The move from
apartment living to ownership of a condominium or
house comes after years of saving or years of
training for the job with the big salary.
It's important to take our time and savor the
smaller moments. Those are the moments we sometimes
don't pay attention to because they seem minor and
inconsequential when compared to bigger moments.
Little
moments, like small gift packages, can contain the
richest and most satisfying rewards.
The
ideal day never comes. Today is ideal for him
who makes it so.
--
Horatio W. Dresser
What kind of day did we
have today? Are we critical of the day's events or
circumstances because they didn't meet our
expectations?
Based on our standards of
perfection, will we ever have the perfect day?
There is no such thing as a perfect day. Today
happened just the way it was supposed to, with its
imperfections as well as its achievements.
If it was a lousy day, it
was only because we believed it was a lousy day.
By the same token, today
was a good day because we believed it was, not
because the sun was shining or traffic was light or
we got paid.
Every day is different. Some days may be enjoyable
experiences while others may be difficult to get
through.
But each day plays an
important part in our development. Instead of
judging each day like a teacher grading papers, we
can see each day as our teacher.
What we learn from the day,
as well as the attitude we have about it, is our
daily lesson.
