thinky thoughts: a work in progress

[tielan]

While writing a poem to my mum, I made a realisation:

There've been people who only saw my opinions and actions and disagreed with them. Who wrote me off for who I was in the moment, because it wasn't who they wanted me to be.

And there've been people who saw my opinions or my actions and disagreed with them, but who saw who I could be. And they were willing to bank on who I might be in the future, not just who I was at the point in time where our perspectives clashed.

I understand the need to protect oneself - that we sometimes have to 'write off' people who aren't healthy influences in our lives. But I'm so, so grateful to the people who were - and are - willing to stick with me, and not dump me the first (or second, or umpteenth) time I said or did something they disagreed with.

Comments

[jelazakazone]

Word. I feel the same way. Very well stated.

[thothmes]

I have NEVER understood people who feel that agreeing with them should be a condition of loving them. Obviously there are some lines that have to be drawn. Advocating genocide, for instance, is something we are all called upon to take a strong stand against. But for most things? It's our differences that make us unique and interesting.

I've been busy lately, so (belatedly) I hope the finger is soothed and happy soon.