Opening holiday gifts in 2011
A couple of Decembers ago, I met with a dear friend, for a drink after work. Holiday
lights twinkling, as seasonal tunes played softly in the
background, we sipped wine. There, she relayed to me her recently-learned knowledge that a board
member (from her former job) had sabotaged her. She was truly troubled by the thought that the woman (who she
had once admired) had acted against her in this way. She further shared her angst over having to continue some level of
interaction with this person--as both belonged to several of the same civic organizations, served as volunteers for
the same charities, etc.
Once she finished talking, I told her, “That’s terrible, but it's also a gift. Actually, it's what I call a “surprise
package.” “Huh?” she
asked, obviously puzzled. I went on to explain to her
that, as a result of her recent experience, she was now armed with the knowledge of who she was truly dealing with. Having this sort of information would enable her to be more selective
in how, when and/or if she did choose to affiliate with this person in the future. Basically, she was granted a form of "intelligence" that gave her the upper hand.
Surprise packages are the lessons learned, the knowledge gained, the
ability to understand who or what you are dealing with, the realization that
your Wise Self had been right all along, and so many other intangible gifted
goodies. In the beginning, it is sometimes hard to
see the gift in the situation—which makes it different from an eternal present. Both have
equally-weighted value, though.
When life hands you a “parcel” you’d rather discard, give it further
inspection. Who knows? It could turn out to be a treasured
surprise package.
Joy and peace. T.
