Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Too Close to See

We bought our 1907 craftsman style home more than ten years ago. Our first Fourth of July here was so much fun. We live near the city park where all the festivities take place, including the annual fireworks display. Living only a block from where the fireworks are set off, we invited friends and family over. We set up chairs in a half-circle, facing the park and waited. Then we heard it. Boom-whoosh...boom-whoosh... But that familiar sound wasn't followed by a visual display.

"It's the trees." Someone finally said. "The fireworks are on the other side of the trees. They're too tall."

"My room's upstairs!" One of my boys yelled.

All of the kids ran after him up the stairs and into his bedroom. Half a minute later they all came down yelling various versions of "We can't see from up there either."

So parents grabbed lawnchairs, blankets, strollers and babies and we all ran across the park, getting to the baseball field just in time for the grand finale.

Sometimes we are just too close to see something that is truly wonderful. I've had that experience with my writing. I've written something, and then forgotten about it only to take it out years later and think, "Dang...this is really good."

Have you ever had someone compliment you and your immediate reaction is to dismiss it? It's as if you are saying, "No you're wrong. If you only really knew me, you wouldn't think I'm so great." Ah what fools we are. We are too close to know how wonderful we really are.

There is something fabulous in you that perhaps you can't even see. So when circumstances align, and someone is put in your path to open your eyes, I challenge you not to dismiss them. Take the moment and embrace it. Breathe it in. Believe it...because it's true...you really are, "just that wonderful."

-Karen

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