 A photo of Badwater, Death Valley I took in 2010. One of my goals for the year -- something I began to focus on a few weeks ago, in fact -- is to have an open heart.
There are many ways of interpreting this. One of them is by being more accepting of others' belief systems. My own beliefs and experiences, and therefore my prejudices, don't have anything to do with how others interact with the world. While I may see things with a more scientific bent, that's not how everyone sees it. If the way a person views the world makes them more kind, giving, and accepting of others, that's wonderful. The way isn't important. The result is. So imagine my chagrin -- and anticipation -- when I was asked to write an article about Mormons. My dad's side of the family is Mormon. I have a lot of experience with the church. Many of those experiences were painful and scarring. BUT those experiences had nothing to do with the (very, very nice) people that I interviewed for the piece. They were trying to help others in the ways they knew how. I'm grateful I got to talk with them. I enjoyed my conversations and felt good that my interactions with them were nothing but positive. So far, I'm delighting in my journey of an open heart. Next week, I'll be back with the blogging tradition of goals and resolutions for 2012. How's the year treating all of you so far?. |