Not long ago, I experienced a humorous situation that reminded me to recognize and value our differences.
My husband and I were enjoying a drive together when I realized we were close to a community that housed art galleries, shops and a labyrinth!
I had heard of this unique place and had wanted to walk the labyrinth.
Those things don’t interest my husband and he would never have stopped on his own, but he is a supportive husband, so we stopped. He was willing to give the labyrinth a try, even though his first response when I told him I wanted to walk it was an exclamation of, “The whole thing?!”
Walking the labyrinth is intended to be a calming, quiet and meditative experience.
He good-naturedly joined me in this single-file walk, but I could hear him following close behind and I quietly suggested he slow down a bit. I was feeling rushed. He complied, though I could tell he wasn’t enjoying the experience as I was.
We arrived at the center and inhaled the moment. He looked at me expectantly, wondering what was supposed to happen.
I told him that now we walk out the way we walked in.
I knew the whole thing made no sense to him. His purpose was to get to the rock in the center, which he had done, and so in his mind, mission accomplished!
Why would we take the time to wind around and back and forth when the outside of the labyrinth was just a few feet away?
As I headed on my contemplative journey back out the labyrinth, my husband looked at me, looked at the outside, and took the eleven steps, crossing over the rock-lined pathways and arrived at the outside within seconds.
He patiently waited for me to finish my winding walk.
I could have chosen to be annoyed that he wasn’t having the same experience I was, or even wanting to have such an experience.
Instead, I recognized that what I might have been annoyed with is exactly what makes him such a successful farmer and provider for his family.
He sees a need and has developed the ability to figure out the quickest, most effective way to reach a solution.
Though that quality may not be the most helpful in a labyrinth, it’s a wonderful strength in many other areas of life!
In that moment of appreciating him, I could let him have his experience his way, while also allowing myself to have my experience.
I was still able to have my quiet, meditative walk, while smiling inside at my purpose-driven, goal-oriented husband.
The fact that we approach things differently didn’t cause a problem. His direct approach did not deter me from my purpose in walking the labyrinth. And my longer, meditative approach did not interfere with his directly finishing his walk.
Knowing that we each bring different qualities and viewpoints to any situation relieves us from unnecessary frustrations when we encounter reactions different from our own.
Though you may not be walking a labyrinth anytime soon, look for similar situations in your life where recognizing the strength of differences can bring understanding and appreciation.
With love,
