PERSPECTIVE

Perspective.

“People Change.  Memories Don’t.

Most all of us bear some scars of hurtful words or actions. Saying a prayer for you now that the Lord will heal your hearts and free you so that your memories will no longer be a source of pain.”

The above words are not mine, they came from a Facebook post of a beautiful young girl sitting on a dock at the edge of water, head bowed.  Her hair is up in a ponytail, flannel shirt is oversized and untucked and faded jeans cover her legs.

You cannot see this girl’s face… however… you know she is beautiful.  In the deepest recesses of your soul you just know that she is innocent, stunning and filled with a pain larger than anyone of her size should ever carry.

When I first read the caption my neck snapped back, I took a sharp breath and my world halted for a split second.  Just who is this girl and what happened to her to bring such despondency to her world?  Someone hurt this beautiful child.

Someone had the audacity to cut her with cruel words. Someone bigger than her took advantage of her goodness.

Just who is this delightful creature? Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls--- that girl is us.

I went about my day yesterday and I kept coming back to those words:  “People Change.  Memories Don’t”

Maybe I was looking at this picture in the wrong perspective.  What did the author intend to say to us?  Who changes?  Do the people who hurt us change?  Maybe… Possibly.  Do our memories change?  Mine don’t.

Just who is it that does the changing?  Does the abuser come to see the error of his/her ways and make a transformation into someone good?  Or does the victim change into a survivor?

People Change.  Memories Don’t.

Do I/we need to change?   Most assuredly I do.  We must always strive to be better people, stronger and healthier.

If I change, do the memories change?  Nope.  Those words are branded into me like hot iron on a piece of meat.  Those words scar me forever.  Those wounds are never going to disappear entirely.  There will always be a remnant of those injuries… I will take them to the grave with me.

Have I changed?  Oh, yes.  Most decidedly, I have changed.  I have grown from a meek little girl to a woman of independence… Miss Sassy Pants, if you will.  I am a mama bear.  Maybe I will choose to confront you.  Maybe I will choose to walk away and chalk the loss onto the scoreboard of defeats and failures in my life.

Or maybe, just maybe, I should give someone a second chance—because—who knows, maybe they can change into a better person.  So into this circus we invite Risk.  And Forgiveness.  And Courage.  Perhaps Bitterness and Pain will diminish as Memories fade.

What is my perspective of this young girl in the picture?  Is it me?  Could it possibly be that I have said those cutting remarks and am in need of repentance?  Most certainly, without a doubt, it could be me sitting on that dock contemplating on what I have done wrong and what I need to change.  I am not perfect.  I inflict pain and injury on others and need to be reminded to ask for forgiveness so that my memories can change.

Perspective.  Just how do we look at life and embrace its lessons?