December 5, 2018 We see others' happiness on the surface.
See through to the suffering and unhappiness
that lie beneath.
Looking through a friend’s photos from a recent family gathering, we see image after image of happy people. A father dancing with his young daughter, spouses opening a present together, nieces and nephews clowning around. Everyone is laughing and relaxed and comfortable with one another. Then we think of our own life, which pales by comparison.
Okay, we need to stop here. And reconsider. What we see is merely a snapshot of a moment in time. The lens does not delve into the frame-by-frame reality of someone’s life.
We’re looking at the public face, the one people instinctively put on when they step out their front door. If we could see them at home, just going about their business, we’d see that they too experience unhappiness and disappointment. We’d see they’re very much like us. And we’d realize that we’re not the only ones who are living imperfect lives.
We all are.
