The part of us that feels differently

Many years ago, my mom cut her finger on a piece of glass and one small shard remained under the skin for the rest of her life. I would occasionally see her toying with that particular spot with another finger -- often unconsciously. Even in her last few months, it was a small routine that that seemed to bring her a palpable measure of comfort.

A few years ago, I smashed the end of my finger between two rocks:

Since then, it has long healed, yet there’s not much feeling in that finger pad -- but even this has found a useful purpose. The numb spot not only reminds me of mom but it also continuously prompts me to consider the imperfection we all share and how this is an important part of defining our progress and place in life.

It is so easy for all of us to generate a laundry-list of why someone else or their way of thinking is flawed. It is even easier to share those reasons with others in endless cycles of “gotcha’s”. Such negative indictments are often unkind, yet seldom bring about change in another’s way of thinking. Recognizing that we all have flaws may bring us to consider the goodness in people and hopefully a more productive pathway to change.