Monday, February 28, 2011

Assumption

There is a saying about the word “assume” – When you assume - you make an ass out of u and me. How many of us go through life making assumptions. We see someone look at us and without words spoken assume what that person is thinking. More often than not our assumption is based on our own thoughts, perception or insecurities that we have about ourselves. The word assumption: The act of assuming; taking upon one’s self; the act of taking for granted; supposition’ the thing supposed; a postulate or proposition assumed. Suppose as a fact; to claim more than is due.

You would think that it would not take fifty years to learn the valuable lesson. Don’t assume anything. I celebrated my 50th birthday with my family (all 53 of us) while we also celebrated our mother’s (Nanny's) 90th birthday. It was a birthday voyage aboard the Kekeboola cruise ship. My niece and her partner decorated their home with all the trimmings you would find on a cruise ship. Everyone felt like they actually boarded a ship. I was humbled to see the work and recognize the thought put into organizing such a fabulous setting and surprised to also have my milestone celebrated. I felt unworthy of such a display of love and affection from the entire family. I don’t very often show my affection to our family as I should. My lack of verbal communication often stifles my true feelings or affections toward others. My own guarded self can at times seem stand offish. I should know that what you see or perceive is not really what you get or what lies underneath that persuade.

When I received a precious gift which was a word picture of what my family each individually thought when they thought of a word to describe me; I was overwhelmed to see that they didn’t describe me with negative words – words I assumed they would use to describe me. Words like religious nut, snob, closed minded, selfish, striven, and harsh and so on . . . Instead they wrote life giving words which overwhelmed my sense of being. Words like caring, determined, spiritual, thoughtful, bubbly, and inspiring and so on. . .

They described me with words I needed to hear – hope to be, strive to be. In my own insecurity I always assumed that others thought of me in the same way I think of myself. So on my 50th birthday I received a valuable lesson from my family. It still moves my heart days later. Every time I look at that picture it will give me words to live up to – inspiration to try and be all those life giving words. Deep within I think that I cannot live up to such high standards written in that word picture. However long or short the rest of my life may be, my prayer is that I can be all those wonderful things which my family see in me and not behave in the way I perceive myself to be. I’ll try not to make an ass out of you or me. Thank you to my family for being so “kind, loving, caring, honest, inspiring, special, beautiful, compassionate, open-minded, loyal, sweet, friends, spiritual and creative.” You are all these things to me and so much more. Even though I don’t often convey to you my thoughts or feelings. I love and appreciate each one of you so very much.

Love, Becky xoxo

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