One of those pastoral days today.Today I visited with someone who, years ago, got the wrong end of the preverbal stick regarding someones position on something. Years ago they thought they saw someone doing something that hurt them. So that to this day they carry the pain of that experience.
I knew the person and explained the reason that person had done what they had done. It had nothing to do with the person I met with today. But they've believed it so long, that they couldn't be free of it. Wouldn't see the truth of it. Or couldn't.
Days like this make me incredibly sad. People misinterpret actions, they don't explore their feelings on it, and they spend a lifetime thinking they have an enemy when they could have had a great friend.
Makes me cranky and frustrated and sad.
We can do better people.
As with so many things, when something has been built into your life for a long period then it's seldom possible to just simply say "Oh, that's not true, so I'll just walk away and my life will be completely different now". Sometimes people are freed immediately, but sometimes they need to be able to change their thinking, re-orient themsleves. I know you know this. :-)
ReplyDeleteOf course they can be determined to hold onto hurts etc, and that's different, but even then, I think there's hope that they can gradually let things go when they realise the pointlessness of it. But yes, it's really sad when the paint on the floor of life is their own, and they wont accept that it's now dry & they can safely walk out of their corner.
Good picture Toni. "The paint on the floor of life." I like that.
ReplyDeleteTo you sir, royalty-free. ;-)
ReplyDelete