The Beauty of Blur

"When life gets blurry, adjust your focus."

This quote resonates with me.

There are times when blurry is better; obscured detail is kinder. Obscurity is a softer place for memories to land, and allows for creativity and personal rendition. Blur prevents full interpretation and simply commands acceptance. This is not a denial of the truth, rather an intentional letting go of what cannot be understood with clarity. Maybe it's also called forgiveness.

We can't solely focus on the past, always trying to make sense of it, trying to understand its impact. If things seem blurry, adjust your focus on what is true.

"Perfecting the past blurs your focus of the future."

 -Marvin Davis

"Perfecting the past" is a futile pursuit, and constant attention in the past diminishes the clarity we can set for ourselves now. I get to focus on what I can understand, what I can know with certainty; I can meditate on what is true. And this is freedom for the future, and a step towards freedom today.

Maybe a combination of the two - focus and blur - is ideal: Focus on the present and the future, and trust that the details of the past were both lovingly ordained and redeemed for something beautiful. We live by faith, not by crystal clear sight!

(Just some passing thoughts on past acceptance and present mindfulness as I scrolled through and organized summer pictures again at lunch time today. It's a reminder to me to think rightly.)

~Katherine