Perspective

So much about life is perspective.  Perspective evolves...time, place, emotion playing a major role.  Jon and I have had many conversations about this, especially after spending time at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.  Seeing people in wheelchairs, with IV poles, and masks covering their nose and mouth is part of the norm.  There are elderly and young, parents, siblings, spouses, children and more.  There is no discrimination.  It is a sobering experience.  We maintain perspective about how blessed we are when considering the journey of so many others.  However, our perspective sometimes stirs feelings of guilt.  Guilt because Jon is surviving.  Guilt because he had a tough day.  Guilt because we complained...  We alleviate that guilt by qualifying what we feel with phrases like, "I know it could be so much worse" or "There are other people who have a much tougher fight".  True?  Absolutely...  Maybe when we consider our perspective, we should do so without judgement.  At any given moment we may have the perspective that life is a  struggle.  The gift we give ourselves is to accept that perspective, knowing we won't stay in that place long.  No qualifications.  No self-recrimination.  A moment of perspective that will pass, replaced by another and another and another.