A Matter of Degrees - Katie

  As the observer of any great artist's painting, we sometimes need to look beneath the surface to glean full meaning, just as in literature it is important to read between the lines. Nuance and context and emphasis all matter. There is always more to the story, it seems, in art, as in life. "...the whole story doesn't show..." as Andrew Wyeth painted and appreciated. Isn't this also true of all of us?

           One evening last summer, we had dinner with another couple, very close friends for over thirty years. While I knew David's mom had died of breast cancer when he was young (aged 14 and the oldest of six), I never knew the rest of his story, abbreviated here. His father worked sometimes twenty hours a day as an internist (he still made house calls). He successfully petitioned the courts to grant David a license early, relying on David to carpool his younger siblings around and essentially co-parent. When his father dropped dead of a heart attack ten years later, David found himself in a battle to keep his family together. He had four siblings still in high school (including twins), needed to find suitable housing, manage a tight budget, and, of course, continue to parent his younger siblings, who would all go on to graduate from college. When an acquaintance heard of David's plight, she told her father, who became a miracle man in David's life. As David tells this part of the story, he gets so emotional he finds it difficult to go on. He had felt so alone and this savior shows up at the right time, understanding exactly what was needed, and giving him the courage and strength to go on.

          It's like that saying, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Or, has fought one, and will live to fight another day. Everyone has his or her story that if fully known would shed light on more than you know. We don't, after all, tend to wear our battle scars, or our stories, on our sleeves. 
 

          We learned that the ability to recognize and accept that there is often more than meets the eye is at the heart of appreciating life's miracles. When we fail to look deeper and truly see - a friend's courage and commitment to family, a human angel of compassion and support, or what the miracles in our lives mean, so much is missed and, perhaps, misunderstood. Hard to believe here in New York that in a few months there will be tulips and daffodils breaking through the black, hard earth, a reminder that the beauty of what lies beneath the surface is worth keeping in mind. (Katie)