I gave Ruth a puzzle for Christmas – a typical 1000-piece puzzle 24” by 30” that would fit on a card table. It was a traditional Christmas scene with Baby Jesus in a manger, Mary and Joseph along with shepherds, an ox, a donkey, bunnies, several cats and kittens, geese and a dog. During the cold, wintery weather Ruth decided to start it.
She started putting together the outside pieces (the way to start a puzzle, right?) While putting together the four (4) sides, she realized something was wrong. This puzzle 24” x 30” had one side that was 33”! Yes, all the pieces fit right – she thought. Not only is this 3 inches more than it’s supposed to be it does not fit on the card table! Take apart and re-do. For some reason Ruth just had to look at the “age appropriate” for the puzzle. Oops! It shows ages 12+. Is this why some people are withdrawn or depressed – they’re over age 65 and cannot work a puzzle designed for a 12-year-old? Ruth had been enjoying working on the puzzle with the fireplace roaring and her dog, Doug, nearby. Even though Doug was not getting the attention she normally got, she enjoyed the fireplace. Each day Ruth worked on the puzzle a little. Then one day while Ruth was watching TV, Doug brought her something – a puzzle piece! It was chewed up and totally unrecognizable as far as shape or even color. When Ruth went over to look at the puzzle, she noticed Doug had put a few other pieces on the floor that were recognizable. (Ruth decided maybe Doug really did miss the attention and wanted to see what the fuss was about.) This puzzle that started out with one side 3 inches too long now has a few “odd” shaped pieces. Maybe Doug has given Ruth a reason (or excuse) for the puzzle pieces to not quite fit together as they should. While Ruth and I were talking about the puzzle, Ruth stopped and got kind of thoughtful. She said “You know Life is like a puzzle. There are lots of pieces and we have to work to get them to fit together. Sometimes we have to start over again to make it fit better and sometimes the pieces get misshaped and just won’t fit together.” Even though the “pieces” may not ever fit perfectly, we need to think about the fun we’re having putting the pieces together and how nice it looks once we’re finished. And if we want to, we can do it over again – a new adventure each time. Have fun and relax. Take time away from being serious and be a 12-year-old kid. Remember to enjoy your journey as you continue to “put the pieces together”. It is a never-ending journey. Tell me about your journey for this year - call 501-868-6650 and say “Caroline, can we talk?” I’ll keep you updated on Ruth’s puzzle progress.
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AuthorCaroline Beauchamp specializes in personalized life and health insurance solutions. Archives
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