Our p.o.v. or point of view is important to consider because it belongs to us and no one else. What we believe and state as truth hinges on a few variables; our childhood, those who have influenced our lives, and our willingness to take a look at why we maintain certain patterns of thought. Like an author who controls the p.o.v. in the story they write, we too can control and if need be, change our p.o.v.

    Significance

The other night, I joined our bimonthly Macek Maverick call. There were only four of the seven of us on the call, but of course, we all have the gift of gab and gab we did. This was the question we discussed. “Reading quenches our thirst for knowledge. Reading can evoke myriad emotions and sensations. As a child and adult, what books (no more than two for each) prompted an intense reaction? Why? Name a book you have read more than once.”

Books I’ve read are one of my favorite topics to discuss. Though I thought I was the only one who used to find secret places in our chaotic household to read in peace and quiet, I was pleasantly surprised when one of my sisters told how she used to read under the porch steps. 

We then moved onto the topic; which books prompted intense reactions. One of my siblings told of how when she was a child, she enjoyed reading The Box Car Children, a series of books first written by Gertrude Chandler Warner. “They had safe adventures,” my sister said. 

While our household at times felt unsafe, these books allowed my sibling to have adventures that always ended well. 

Another sister stated that her favorite book as a child was Cinderella. For her, this book stirred her longing for singular importance. With so many siblings and the inability to stop anymore children from coming home from the hospital, being recognized as an important person was paramount in her heart and still is. 

Her phrase, singular importance, resonated with me. 

Though some of my detail oriented siblings carefully consider their answers before the phone call and actually write down their comments ahead of time, I don’t. I have a general idea of what I might say, but my answers are more spontaneous than carefully thought out. 

Hearing that my sister still longs for singular importance prompted a little different slant to my answer than I’d originally thought. I said that my favorite book of all time is the Bible because it is alive, and it is active. Adding to that statement I shared that my relationship with my Creator is what makes me know I am significant and of singular importance. 

I know that my siblings and I share the same tragedy, our dad’s suicide, and that we all grew up as children of an alcoholic. From that standpoint, we all share the same need; to be loved unconditionally and to know that we matter. Someday, I hope my sister, who desires to be seen as singularly important, will discover her Creator, who sees her from that p.o.v.

Why bother considering our p.o.v.?  When we consider our  p.o.v. we might also see that it needs to be altered. Fortunately, we have the power to do just that.