Through the Looking Glass

We are reflected in our friends and loved ones. These priceless human mirrors are one of life's greatest gifts, allowing us to see ourselves through their eyes as they reveal our strengths and flaws with equal rectitude.

When those we hold dear suffer, we realize that our own trials and tribulations may not be as significant as they first appeared; certainly, our own situations seem lessened by the magnitude of what our loved ones are experiencing. "There but for the grace of God go I" does a fine job of helping us keep things in perspective. In exchange, our own situations help maintain the perspectives of those we love.

Perspective - in optics or life, it doesn't matter - is critical to the achievement of a clear view. We may discover the finest looking glass in the world, but what good does it do us when our vision is clouded, or obscured? When our perspective is skewed, from interference or positioning, we can't appreciate the full, unadulterated reflection of ourselves that our friends and loved ones provide.

Recently, I learned that my oldest mirror has fallen in love with someone that he expects to lose due to a terminal illness. I learned that my most precious mirror is transitioning to a new phase in her life, one in which she embraces change and the potential for personal growth. I learned that my most reliable mirror is awaiting the return of her own mirror, not with trepidation, but with quiet enthusiasm and hope. I learned that my most cherished mirror is beginning her delayed recovery from open-heart surgery after many months of struggling. I learned that my most beloved mirror offers a somewhat distorted reflection due to internal flaws. And I am reminded by these lessons that I am not, and will never be, the center of any universe.

I will be the first to say that these mirrors do not create identity, nor do they lend themselves to vanity. Rather, when we are encircled by them, forcing us to maintain an unobstructed perspective, we see our real selves - not the people we purport to be, or want to be, but simply the people we are.