Perspectives
Sometimes I need to take a deep breath and slowly exhale. Little things
can grow into full-blown catastrophes if I allow them to. Here is a short story
that I’ve heard several times and Tuesday morning, Joyce Meyer used it as part
of her teaching. I really don’t think I will insert a joke with this, because
if viewed from the right perspective, it is actually pretty funny. This is a story about
a daughter writing to her mother and father after her first three months of
college.
Dear Mother and Dad:
It has been three months since I left for college. I have been remiss in writing and I am very sorry for my thoughtlessness in not having written before. I will bring you up to date now, but before you read on, please sit down. You are not to read any further unless you are sitting down, okay.
Well then, I am getting along pretty well now. The skull fracture and the concussion I got when I jumped out of the window of my dormitory when it caught fire shortly after my arrival are pretty well healed by now. I only spent two weeks in the hospital and now I can see almost normally and only get those headaches once a day.
Fortunately, the fire in the dormitory and my jump was witnessed by an attendant at the gas station near the dorm, and he was the one who called the Fire Dept. and the ambulance. He also visited me at the hospital and since I had nowhere to live because of the burnt out dormitory, he was kind enough to invite me to share his apartment with him. It's really a basement room, but it's kind of cute. He is a very fine boy and we have fallen deeply in love and are planning to get married. We haven't set the exact date yet.
I know you will welcome him into the family with open arms. He is kind and although not well educated, he is ambitious. He is of a different religion than ours, I know that your oft-expressed tolerance will not permit you to be offended by his radical religious beliefs.
Now that I have brought you up to date, I want to tell you there was no dormitory fire; I did not have a concussion or a skull fracture; I was not in the hospital; I am not engaged, however, I am getting a D in sociology and an F in science; and I wanted you to see these marks in proper perspective.
Your loving daughter
It has been three months since I left for college. I have been remiss in writing and I am very sorry for my thoughtlessness in not having written before. I will bring you up to date now, but before you read on, please sit down. You are not to read any further unless you are sitting down, okay.
Well then, I am getting along pretty well now. The skull fracture and the concussion I got when I jumped out of the window of my dormitory when it caught fire shortly after my arrival are pretty well healed by now. I only spent two weeks in the hospital and now I can see almost normally and only get those headaches once a day.
Fortunately, the fire in the dormitory and my jump was witnessed by an attendant at the gas station near the dorm, and he was the one who called the Fire Dept. and the ambulance. He also visited me at the hospital and since I had nowhere to live because of the burnt out dormitory, he was kind enough to invite me to share his apartment with him. It's really a basement room, but it's kind of cute. He is a very fine boy and we have fallen deeply in love and are planning to get married. We haven't set the exact date yet.
I know you will welcome him into the family with open arms. He is kind and although not well educated, he is ambitious. He is of a different religion than ours, I know that your oft-expressed tolerance will not permit you to be offended by his radical religious beliefs.
Now that I have brought you up to date, I want to tell you there was no dormitory fire; I did not have a concussion or a skull fracture; I was not in the hospital; I am not engaged, however, I am getting a D in sociology and an F in science; and I wanted you to see these marks in proper perspective.
Your loving daughter
I thought this
was pretty funny and a good lesson in learning which battles need to be fought
and which ones need just a little attention.
Much love, Dennis
Much love, Dennis
