My father had some great ways of looking at things. I asked him once about the whole glass half empty versus half full metaphor for life. His answer wasn’t what I expected. He just matter-of-factly and confidently stated his wasn’t either one. His glass was completely full. He had this great grin on his face. So peaceful. He refused to accept that things were limited, or at least that’s how I interpreted it.

Whether we truly have a full glass or not, is that even really the point? Maybe it’s one of those self fulfilling prophecies? If we go through life thinking we only get a half a glass, regardless of which half, maybe that what we end up getting. Doesn’t it sort of set us up for feeling cheated in some way, that we didn’t get the whole thing? Doesn’t feeling hard done by limit us by it’s very existence? If we feel short changed (there must be a reason we’ve come up with all these ‘less than’ expressions…) do we sometimes try less hard, figuring what’s the point, life’s not fair anyway, so why bother trying to get that whole glass? Why expect it to be full? Go in with low, or half, expectations and you won’t be disappointed, right? Just won’t be too ‘appointed’ either.

I know which I want, and maybe that’s the first step to filling up the glass. It feels better to believe all things are possible. And who does it hurt? Be realistic in your expectations sure, but in those quiet moments of reflection, when it just feels so good to be, and you’re simply taking it all in, every moment, life feels so very full, with nary a half in sight.

On the other hand, maybe as seen below, Peekaboo the cat of the Rose is Rose comic strip (by Don Wimmer, created by Pat Barry) had the right idea…