A matter of perspective

I had a very thought provoking and interesting chance to view different perspectives the other day.

My wife and I were at a house closing earlier this week. Our lawyer, Jeff, who we knew from the church we had been attending up until recently, suddenly was unable to attend the closing. He had a partner Jim who could fill in. Jim was also an acquaintance from a church we had attended years ago. As closing do from time to time this one kind of fell apart and what was to be an hour of signing papers turned into an odd 2-3 hour afternoon trying to iron things out. Things did not get resolved that day, but that is a story for another time.

We had spent some time talking with Jim about his family and especially his daughter, Michelle who is the same age as our oldest daughter, Erin. Michelle and Erin had been to each other's birthday parties when they were much younger and played on the same soccer team. Jim told us how Michelle has been studying at a university down state and is studying international studies. She is going to a friend's wedding in Australia soon and then will be studying abroad in Europe immediately after she returns. She is obviously doing very well.

Erin, has chosen a different path and is now expecting her second child as she and her husband are looking forward to having many more children. And by the way I could not be prouder of how she has grown to be a terrific wife and mother.

Then came the moment of fascinating perspective.

Jeff returned from the appointment that had kept him from the closing and in the course of some casual conversation said to his partner Jim that Erin was "ahead" of Michelle.It was so fascinating to be on the outside of this conversation, knowing Jeff's perspective on life and what it means to be "ahead" and knowing Jim's perspective on life and what it means to be "ahead".

It was an intriguingly rich moment of life!