Take The Present

I’ma be honest. Okay? I don’t want to, but lying hasn’t worked out real well. Kinda like Usher Raymond, these are my confessions. In the past, I have looked a gift horse in the mouth and told him his breath is stank. Not wise at all, especially when you only have one horse. If you’re not familiar with the old idiom “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” it simply means don’t question the value of something you got for free.

While this has questionable applications to ceramic statues of unicorns, it is very true when it comes to people. Cougars spend a lot of time alone so their team player skills may be have been sacrificed to leadership development. The fact is you cannot mold grown folks into your image of success. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is too simply receive what others have to offer and make it valuable. For example, the gift of sunshine seems paltry in Florida, but take it to Seattle during rainy season and it’s a valuable commodity.

Example number two is my friend, Mike, who is forever late responding to text, emails, calls, and general requests for information. He is as unlike me as two members of a related species can be. In my past life, I would have blown him off like a loose hair on my shoulder because, in mOe’s world, chronic lateness is a weakness.

However, having suffered the consequences of expecting everyone to adhere to my timepiece, I’ve learned to be more patient. And, it never fails, my friend Mike comes through in the most remarkable way with information and support beyond my wildest expectations. For us to work together and remain friends, I must accept that my “on time” is early to him. Do I like it? No. I’m not that enlightened. But the benefits of holding my horse(s) far outweigh the costs of killing the horse(s). Relationships are like tools. My daddy says, “You need the right tool for the job.” Mike is not the person for fixing a broken pipe. I need a plumber-type dude for that if you know what I mean. And I’m not the tool to watch water boil, but if you need someone to get the popcorn out of the microwave before it gets cold, I’m ya girl.

All I’m saying is hold your judgment and your temper when things don’t go the way you planned and plotted.Just graciously accept the gifts and talents everyone brings into your life. They all have value if you know what to do with them.

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