… but is it really true, as Einstein said, that “a picture is worth a thousand words”? Let’s ponder that for a minute. Take, for example, this picture of my son and his girl taken one year ago this day on his 30th birthday trip to Aspen. Or rather should I say, she’s our girl, not just his, as she’s one who has somehow managed to not just steal his heart, but in many ways UN “steel” his heart once and for all. It’s one of my favorites of them thus far.

Do you see it?

Do you see what I see here? Of course not! But you see, as his mother, not only does this snapshot evoke insurmountable feelings of pride, joy, happiness, hope, and LOVE for both of their futures, likewise is it a poignant reminder of the entire lifetime of mental pictures flipping back and forth through not just my head, but his, hers, and probably even the stranger who snapped it. As with every photograph, the backstories of both of their lives that culminated to this one moment captured in time are the collective lifetimes of “nothing, everything, ALL OF IT” experiences they’ve had prior.

Always remember that not every child was equipped with the proper toolbox and blueprint for how to be in a healthy relationship. Sadly, so many people truly believe that the broken adult born of a toxic childhood should somehow just be able to magically snap their fingers and “get over it”. What they don’t realize is that the environment a child was raised in either systematically FAILS or eniquivocally EQUIPS them to cognitively, emotionally, psychologically, and often even physically grow into a normal, healthy, functioning adult with the wings they need to fly and the tools they need to not just “survive”, but THRIVE as a healthy adult in any capacity. When a young person is always in “fighting just to survive” mode, they often miss the REAL flying lessons.

I’ve been avoiding things I’m missing. Then you came into my life a brand new flower, baby. A reminder of what happiness is like on the other side. I’m saying my blind side. And if a mental picture’s all I’ve got to go on, for a while or more … you know I’ll always think of you, think of you.

(John Secada)

By the way, never forget that sometimes the person we need most to help us check our “blind side” and cultivate a season of brand new flowers is ourselves! (Wink, wink!)

So, with that, I say Einstein truly was a genius, and not just academically speaking. As is the case with the more intelligent of the human species, his knowledge of the human heart, soul, mind, and mental pictures that they take were spot on!