Perceptions

When you were a kid, did you like to explore the woods? Wow, I sure did. We used to go up to the lake every weekend. In the summer there was boating, sunbathing and swimming. (Funny thing is even though I grew up going to the lake I'm not a water person. I like being there but I would rather stay dry LOL) In the winter the water would be way down where they would drop the water levels from the dam. When I was little I would "cook" using the mud and sand along the shore. Red clay made the "pizza" and the white sand was "sugar". When I got older I loved to walk the shoreline and explore the little natural creeks around our slough. It was so relaxing to me to disappear among the trees.

The lake was still the lake no matter the season. But people's perceptions of it were different depending on what it could offer them at a given time of year. It had so many different facets and characteristics. Some were loved by all and some were under-appreciated.

People would flock to it in the summer to take advantage of the cool water. The weekdays were usually quiet except for Independence Day. But folks began to trickle in on Friday nights and by Saturday there was no mistaking the crowd. The hum of boats began early in the morning on Saturdays. The smell of charcoal grills floated lazily through the air. The sound of neighbor's conversations carried across the water. I still smile when I think of the time I overheard my now husband's family discussing me! Back then he was the cute, older guy with a sharp boat and hot car who I spotted now and then across the slough. I knew his laugh, even then. Those of you who know him, know exactly what I mean. We had talked a few times and I was elated when I heard through the "airwaves" how much he liked me.

I especially loved the solitude in the fall and winter. Cabins stood empty and the waters were quiet. The smell of burning leaves often hung in the air. About the only boats to be heard were the occasional fishermen. My bed sat on the enclosed porch. The windows were not glass so it gave the feel of being outside. Once I was awakened at sunrise by a persistent splashing. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was a buck with a huge rack struggling to swim across the lake. He was so big that it was not an easy feat. His body would sink and his head would bob underwater only to burst out of its depths gasping for air. I watched his determined trek and felt like cheering when he finally emerged from the cold water on the other side.

Most people had no use for the lake if they couldn't swim or ski. Some even thought of it as ugly without the lapping waves and green trees surrounding it. Not me. I loved it when the crowds thinned, the trees began to change colors and eventually were left bare against a fall sky. The cold could be brutal when there was a stiff wind blowing over the water.

I loved the lake simply because it was the lake. I guess it was only fitting that I met the love of my life there.

The FisherMan and I started dating in September after talking all summer. We didn't really date as in going to the movies or out to eat, etc. We would go over to his sister's house and watch movies or play with her little ones. We would ride country roads with the radio turned way up playing everything from Alabama and Hank, Jr. to Michael Jackson and Prince. (I know, I know but who paid attention to lyrics back then?) We spent many hours at the lake walking the shoreline or through the mounds of leaves that collected in the woods and lonely cabin lots. We also spent a lot of time exploring all the old dirt roads around. Once we found a very old, abandoned church and cemetery. The leaves were knee deep! When we brushed them back from the graves we discovered they dated back to the early 1800's and even earlier. There was even an Indian graveyard nestled further in the woods.

When the days were too cold to do much outside we would curl up and watch football. At halftime he would race to a nearby town to pick up cheeseburgers and fries with ice cream sundaes. I don't think I have had a sundae so good since.

The memories flood over me every year, starting with that first little telltale breeze in the air. I don't know if you get that anywhere but the south or not. It can be a hot day yet there will be a certain feel to the air and a certain crisp smell that alerts you Autumn is on its way. I'm ready for the trees to be dressed in orange, gold and crimson. I'm ready for that October sky. I'm ready for pecans, sweaters, and bonfires.

You know so much of life really is perceptions. Underneath the perceptions is something basic and solid. Just as people's perceptions of the lake didn't alter the fact that it was still the lake, it just changed with the seasons. Life is the same. Whether you are in a valley or on a hilltop it is still the gift of life. Life changes with its own seasons.

It's funny last week I was mistaken for my son's sister. No joke! Anesthesiology thought I was accompanying my younger brother to the pre-op appointment and just brought my baby with me. The FisherMan was with us, too and afterwards kept saying,"And what was I?! The old grandpa you had to bring along 'cause he couldn't be left alone?" LOLOLOL Personally I have decided that if I ever return to the workforce it will be in a hospital because obviously the lighting must be very flattering to my skin tone! Then the day of his surgery, The GuitarMan's pastor came. It so happens that he went to college with us and I taught his son in Pre-K. We haven't seen him in years and he kept trying to pin us down on how old we are because we look so great (ha, that hospital lighting again!) and supposedly we look just as he remembers us. So maybe that helped The FisherMan's feelings! :) Me, I'm thinking he needs to go ahead and start on the gingko for his memory!

Now just to prove my point about perceptions the day I fell and sprained my ankle my girls were at the ER with me.

LadyBug told me later, "Mommy, you know when you were sitting in that wheelchair?"

"Yes, baby,"I replied.

"You looked like a little, old lady."

As of today I have been on crutches since Wednesday night. I can't get around to do anything. Every muscle hurts. It takes all I can do to lug myself to the bathroom. I feel like a not so little, very old lady!

Perceptions. I'm still me whether I look or feel young or old. Life is still life, good days or bad. Sometimes people treat you like Summer and appreciate all you can give. You're beautiful and loved. But when the cold season comes along and they don't like what you offer they are quick to drop you or tell you exactly where you are lacking. Suddenly you are old or ugly and useless. If they don't tell you in cutting words, their looks and aggravated sighs in your direction, or the gossip that makes its way back to you lets you know their opinion.

The best thing to do? Surround yourself with people who love you no matter the season. They can play in the warm sun with you, walk quietly in the cold breeze, or help you find shelter when the bitter cold hits.

I'm blessed. I have those kind of people in my life.

You may have some fair weather people in your life who are only happy if you are doing everything the way they like. They are quick to jump to misunderstandings and read into anything you say or do. If you have no fun to offer they have no use for you. You must be sure to tiptoe on eggshells and provide just the right sunny day for them to enjoy your presence.

Some quick advice. It is a choice to recognize when the enemy seeks to discourage and destroy.

It is also a choice to recognize real Christlike love and surround yourself with people who display it with a helping hand and an open heart. Focus on the relationships that don't revolve around what season of life you are in. They just simply love you, for you.

Peace and blessings to all of you. Thanks for reading here and being an encouragement to me during this stormy season. I love you all!