Hi, My name is Betsy Vance and I’ve been a school counselor for most of my life…sometimes a family and marriage counselor, but most of the time in schools.
Inspirational Short Story About Perception
A couple of short stories that talk about the beauty of kids…the beauty of perception. One was an exercise I used to do in the 5th grade. I would take in a book and I would say…
“Ok, we all agree that this is the same book.”
and they would say, “Yes, that is the same book.” I said do you all say this is the same thing and they would say…”Right!”
I asked the side on the right what they saw, the group right in front of me what they saw as well as the group to my left. When they came up with the answers…the group on the right said that they saw a blue cover with no writing on it. The other side said that it was red with a lot of writing on it with a man and a woman on the front. And the group in the middle said, “No, it’s only about an inch with a little bit of writing. “
And I said, “How can that be it’s the same thing, but we are all seeing different sides to it?”
I think so often that life is like that. There are a lot of sides to things, but because of where we are, or maybe our experiences, or where we grew up, or what we were taught… that we only see one side. If we can step back and talk with other people we realize that there are more sides. And if we can just take the time and the patience without saying that one side is right and the other wrong that we can complete whatever it is that we see!
That was all about Perception.
Beautiful Wisdom
This little 2nd grader came to me that was having a lot of hassles came to me crying and said. “Mrs. Vance all the other kids are making fun of me because I can’t swim and run as fast as them. Then one day my mother asked me to pick some tulips out of the garden for a party she was having. And I went and got some tulips and some were all big like this (open)…and some were like this (closed). I took a little one and tried to open it, but the leaves fell apart. And then I thought….I wonder if I’m like that tulip. That someday in the future that I’ll be able to swim and to run, but I’m like that tulip….I’m not ready yet. That tulip just needs more sun, water, and air and nurturing and it will be a grown tulip. And I can run and do the things that other kids do …I just need to let myself have time.” And then she said, “Do you think that’s true Mrs. Vance…is that why I can’t run?”
And I just hugged her and I was crying because that was the most beautiful wisdom of life. TIMING…When it’s our TIME. You don’t push it before it’s TIME!
Betsy Vance
Author: Bliss
Dedicated to making a positive difference for people, animals, and this beautiful planet!
