Throughout my life, I have been accused of several things:
- Seeing the world through rose-colored glasses, being a Pollyanna
- Celebrating my birthday all month long
- Being Oversensitive
- Taking pictures anytime, anyplace.
But is that such a bad thing?
This time last year I attended the funeral of a good friend who was younger than I. It was heart wrenching.
Even in my younger days, I never understood how older people said, “I don’t celebrate my birthday anymore.” You’d think the older you get, the more you’d have to rejoice about making it another time around the sun. I guess that’s the “Pollyanna” mindset in mi.
But, as I sat at the celebration of life and listened to the things that my friend had done, the impact she made, the roads she paved and the obstacles she’d overcame, as I watched the slideshow of photos recalling moments of 60 years passing by frame by frame, I wondered what people would think and say
and see
about mi and my life
when my life is over.
I’m confident my positive, optimistic personality will be brought to mind as I have been called a “Pollyanna” more times than I can remember. Truthfully, until recently, I never knew if it was a compliment or an insult.
(Perhaps both, depending on the messenger.)
But I simply was who I was and went my merry way.
When you look up the meaning of Pollyanna, it relates to a fictional character from a 1913 children’s classic by American writer Eleanor Porter. The definition reads something like “a blindly optimistic person,” and “unreasonably or illogically optimistic.”
It’s the wording “blindly” and “illogically,” that I find a bit harsh, that kind of bug mi. I mean, who gets to decide by how I see my glass, that I am simply naive, unrealistic, skewed, or uneducated?
I am none of those. I simply choose to see the good to find some silver lining in every situation.
(My glass is neither half empty nor half full, by the way
…it’s overflowing!)
But is it a bad thing in this world to be an excessively cheerful or optimistic person, let alone have one in your life?
Why does grace, goodwill, and optimism have to be negative? Can’t someone have a natural tendency to look on the bright side without being characterized as naive or loony?
Is it really a shame to have some aging Pollyanna who just wants to enjoy and embrace sweetness, rainbows, and butterflies to believe that there is still beauty in this world, kindness in others?
Is it wrong to be tenderhearted and believe more good things happen than bad, to be characterized by irreversible optimism? Does being sensitive mean we avoid dealing with reality? I think it means we see and feel on a deeper level.
I used to be sensitive to the negative Pollyanna name connotation, but
I have had enough sorrowful, negative experiences in my life to know that I don’t have to look for them. They will keep coming as long as I keep breathing.
Don’t get mi wrong, I understand the cynicism, sadness, and despair. Many people, myself included, don’t necessarily want to be cheered when dealing with trying situations. But sadness is not necessarily bad; it simply represents another setting in our emotions. So, when I choose to look for the rainbow in the storm, it doesn’t mean I dismiss the mud, maggots and mess, it merely means that I’m believing there is a message, a blessing, a glimpse of hope, a ray of light. And so, I continue to recognize and collect what is good, what is lovely, and to focus on these things.
Although I’ve never seen the movie, I suppose it is my own version of Pollyanna’s “Glad Game,” and truthfully, I wouldn’t have it any other way. The fact of the matter is, just like there are tough things all around us, there are nice things also.
Around us,
within us,
within the people,
places,
situations and
circumstances we encounter.
What we focus on is ultimately our choice. I simply refuse to take offense to the comments anymore.
I’d like to encourage you to seek out and collect evidence of positivity. I think if you start looking for the silver lining, seeking the good, and embracing the blessings, you will notice there is great proof all around. From the air we breathe, the flowers that color our surroundings, the people we love, the songs we sing, and the food we eat — the good stuff (the stuff that makes us glad) it is there…all around.
Sometimes, we don’t even have to look that hard for it.
So, call mi Pollyanna. Call mi oversensitive. Mock mi for celebrating my birthday every day in July and taking pictures on a whim! I’m ok with that! But when you’re at my funeral I think you’ll see the Pollyanna in mi as a good thing, you may even recall a moment or two when I encouraged you and I’m confident you’ll be glad I captured some of those moments in pictures.
I know people who haven’t lived to see their 64th birthday, so..
as long as I have breath,
I will not stop seeing the world through my rose-colored glasses.
I will continue to embrace my pollyanna outlook as only the finest of compliments,
and will always capture every moment possible
so that all the beauty that engulfs us
will be recognized,
and rejoiced,
hopefully, even after I’m gone.
(c) ~c. Michelle bryant griffin
