“You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
A.A. Milne
I have always been intrigued by the power of perspective. The words we use and the way we see and interpret the world around us make such a difference. Sometimes the things we hear don’t necessarily ring true. For example, in the face of difficult times we sometimes hear, “It’s always darkest just before dawn.” It is meant to be an encouragement but if you think about it, the darkest part of the night is at midnight, several hours before dawn. The time just before dawn is when we begin to see the light. Maybe we don’t have to stay in the dark. Maybe we can move forward and try to see signs of the light. The dawn points to the hope of a new day as light appears.
There has been a little cloud trying to block the light from my view this week. I have been feeling a little unsettled. I thought it was because we are nearing the end of summer. I have totally enjoyed being with our kids this summer and am going to miss the opportunity to be with them when school starts. I have been feeling the drag of going “back to school”. Then suddenly it occurred to me. I need a change of perspective. What if we let go of going “back to school”? The truth is, there is no need to go back. It’s not like our kids missed something. What if we go forward to school. The simple turn of phrase feels so different. The truth is that moving forward into a new school year can be fun. It’s a time of promise and new possibilities. I am excited for my kids to go forward to school. It even makes we wonder what may be in store for me. Comedian Carol Burnett said, “We don’t stop going to school when we graduate.” There is still so much for us all to learn and the dawn of a new day can continue to light our way.