Perception

My mother tells a story of me as a child, freshly washed and clad in a little yellow dress, sitting on the couch beside of my grandmother, waiting to go to church. My mother was concerned that I would get myself and my dress dirty before we left, so she gave my grandmother strict instructions that I was to sit still and not move around. Unfortunately, I left the couch to play and by the time my mother had finished getting ready, I was what she called "a mess." When asked why she hadn't made me sit still  instead of letting me run around and get dirty, my grandmother's response was that I had only moved around a little bit, not enough to affect my appearance. Frustrated, my mother cleaned me up, again, and we left for church.

Perception is not based on what something actually is, but what it is viewed to be. Two or more people, such as my mother and my grandmother, may look at the same situation and see something different. Or, in an effort to be helpful, someone may try to solve a problem before they have all of the facts, and end up generating more tension and strife than the problem warrants.  

The same is true in the garden. This year, for example, I underestimated the amount of space needed between my cantaloupe plants and my cucumber plants. In reality, the area I perceived to be adequate for each row of plants to spread out and grow effectively was not big enough, and as a result, I ended up with a cluster of tangled vines in one section of my garden. With much patience, effort and furrowing of the brow, I eventually disentangled and redirected the vines so that I was able to tell which plant was which. Next year, I plan to plant the cantaloupes and the cucumbers on opposite ends of the garden. Lesson learned.


When we make decisions based on perception instead of facts, we may find ourselves at odds with the task at hand, and this can lead to undue stress, tension-filled relationships and the desire to give up. However, if we gather as much information as possible before addressing a situation or problem, we will lower our stress levels and maintain healthy relationships.