Perspective

Perspective: a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something

My daughter drew me a picture on canvas years ago that still hangs in my office today. The image simple, yet profound; a chain-link fence at the bottom of the canvas and as the fence rises vertically, the links begin to become undone. Slowly but surely the links then begin floating in the air as birds. I titled it ‘Perspective’.

The truth is, I came from a very poor family. We didn’t have much growing up. When I say we didn’t have much I mean we didn’t. My mom would clip coupons to use with our food stamps and only go shopping on double coupon days. She didn’t get snacks or chips or sodas because we only had enough for just what we needed. And sometimes even that wasn’t enough. I vividly remember many nights my mom making us three kids dinner and not eating, claiming she wasn’t hungry, only to find her late at night after we kids had gone to bed, standing in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal. But we always had food in our bellies and a roof over our heads at night. I don’t know how she made it work, but she did. She put herself through nursing school and made it out of poverty. She’s my hero for that.

I strived hard to make my kids lives growing up financially better than what I had, and by the grace of God, I did. Now that they are adults and finally at a place they don’t have to ask mom for money, I find I have become a little more selfish. I spend money where I don’t need to and complain a lot more about what I don’t have. I don’t have money to redo my siding because of water damage to my floors. And now I can’t fix my floors because I had to replace the air conditioner. But dammit, I have a house to fix, and it’s mine. I have so much more than what I started life out with.

I live what I call a ghetto dream. I got out of that life of need and lack, and I now live a very different one, one I am proud of, one that others even envy. One where I have no real need. I try to remember that in those times of want, want, want.

It’s all about perspective. Knowing where I came from, getting to where I am, and striving for an even better future; an attitude of the heart.

I am blessed beyond what I ever dreamed possible, yet sometimes, I need a reminder. Heart adjustment to commence in 3…2…1.