I offer this information for various reasons, to let others know that there is more than one facet to a person… more than what you and I see. I can use myself, and others I know as examples of this.

When you look at me, what might you see?? You see a gal dressed in leather one day, lace the next. If you had not seen that lace, would you think I was tough or hard? Had you seen the lace, might you think I was soft and easy to take advantage of?

You see a girl who likes to have fun, laughs a lot, and takes a few risks….the next day you see a serious person working for a living and helping people with illnesses that are unthinkable. You would wonder how the two could be the same person….that safety conscious nurse certainly cannot be that free spirit that was partying hard last night could she? She hardly seemed as if she could spell her name.

The weekend you see a woman working to establish and expand her own business. One who practices enjoyment of life and enhancement of the lives of others. How on earth can this be the same person.

Relaxation time with grandkids? What?  This woman has grandkids? She still acts like a kid herself, when did That happen?

I asked myself once, when working with the homeless population, why one gentleman I was acquainted with was homeless. It didn’t take me long to become a friend, and I did ask him, as he did not fit the “picture” of the homeless person living hand to mouth. He seemed as if he had a lot more going on than most. He was always reading a book, usually a novel, was always well dressed and clean. I had to know how he got to that point.

He had been a husband and a father, and at the young age of 40, homeless. He told me he had given up hope after his wife, pregnant, died of cancer. Their child was also lost at this time. He could not see anything worth living for anymore. He gave up, just didn’t care….

I shared words of encouragement with him, but lost contact with him due to a job change. Several years later, I saw him again, he had started his own business, and was working many hours, and looked great. I knew when I met him he had it in him, he just had to know this himself.

I think a lot of us are like this person. We have a lot more in us than we ever know, and can achieve much more than we ever do. We do indeed have different sides and different personalities that blend to make us the one person we are, however all of our friends see us a little bit differently. Some see me as a serious person, some see me as a business person, some see me as a highly respected person. Some cannot find anything to respect me for, as they cannot see past the leather and blue jeans, the girl who likes to enjoy life and loves to laugh. Some cannot see me as anything but the nice nurse who brings happiness and comfort to them in the crisp uniform. Some see me as a business woman who really has it all together, and some see me as a Grandmother or a Mother who fixes scraped knees and makes macaroni and cheese. Many people will never really truly know what makes me tick.

When you meet someone, consider that there are many different facets of a person and phases that they go through to get them there. We all have a journey, none of us has completed it yet. The person you meet today could very likely turn out to be one of your best friends tomorrow. I met one of my best friends while advertising my business, and we have been close for 24 years. I looked past the leather……