I have loved puzzles for longer than I can remember.
When I was very young, people told me I would soon have a new playmate. My parents were going to bring a baby sister home from the hospital. On the great day, I put all of my puzzles on display, ready to share. When they brought in this tiny crying bundle, I did not say a word. I turned and, very deliberately, put my puzzles away.
I love the shapes and colors of puzzles. There is great tactile reward in picking up a piece and putting it where it belongs. I like the process of finding a solution, the flash of insight that allows me to find the right place for each piece.
Each puzzle has a story of its own to tell. We listen by putting the pieces together.
There are ways in which life is a puzzle to be solved. We are working to find a solution.
It helps a lot to begin by finding the pieces around the edge. When we know where the boundaries are, we can develop a feeling for the puzzle.
The large puzzles with hundreds or even thousands of pieces are similar to the smaller puzzles of my childhood. Larger, more intricate puzzles are combinations of those simpler puzzles. The lessons I learn come from trying to find the patterns that make up the larger, more complex picture.
I work with people who are struggling to solve their own puzzles. I help them set their boundaries and listen to find where the pieces fit into place.
One of the challenges with life is that there is no picture on the box to show us the solution.
What puzzles are you working to solve today?
When is the last time you worked on solving a good puzzle?
[Image by jared]
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