So Many Layers

If I had a penny for every moment when I’ve realized that life is not simple, I’d be a millionaire. And it isn’t simply situations that grow complex, but it is us. The truth is I’m not sure if we have always been so complex or if we have grown in complexity with the times. History makes me think the former but then I can’t help but wonder if we’ve changed as well.

Very infrequently have I met people who simply are who the first appear to be. Most often, humans are referred to as “onions” with many layers for this very reason. Over the past weeks, I spent a lot of time watching documentaries—specifically about well known people in history. Tyrants, scientists, politicians, serial killers, philanthropists—such a wide range of minds and so many ways in which they formed and worked. Different backgrounds and a lifetime of experiences that made each person who they became. Life and their continued reactions to what life brought only added to their individual complexity. Interesting in each person’s life was either their ability or inability to manage life’s obstacles.

As I watch my kids grow day by day, their ability to cope with life is something we focus a lot on. I never could have guessed what an important role it would play but it is a difficult balance between providing guidance and doing too much for them that they don’t learn to manage experiences on their own. I’m not even sure if I am doing things right half the time.

Today’s lesson? We are complex and that’s okay, but that also requires a deeper examination of our feelings and perhaps a bit of patience (with ourselves and others)as we continuously learn to navigate life,

Happy writing this week!