The Big Picture

My 11-year-old son is at sleep-away camp this week.

Boy is it quiet.

There’s such a remarkable difference in our home, and it makes me think about what it will be like down the road when Evan is older and out of the house for good. It also makes me realize, again, how quickly time passes and how you define your life today may have little to do with the reality of tomorrow.

Helping people write their personal histories, and thinking back on my own, reminds me that life really is a story. With shifts and detours and curves and dead ends. Some chapters are pretty tough to get through and some make you laugh out loud.

This understanding is such a blessing, when you think about it. Little is forever and each page brings the chance for change – internal and external. But in reality, in our everyday lives, we forget this truth. We get caught up in today. We view ourselves, our success, and our failures by today’s yardstick. We lose perspective.

Writing your life story helps you see the big picture. All the experiences, all the relationships, all the hills and valleys. And it helps your readers – often children and grandchildren – see the big picture too. By writing your story, you remind your family that life is long and varied. You give them perspective.

Such a valuable gift.

Evan will be home in just a few days and the quiet will disappear.  

At least for a while.