pic(s) of the day - reflections

I was given an hour of time that I didn't expect tonight. My friend and I were to have dinner prior to going to photography club workshop. Unfortunately she was not able to meet me at the last minute and I found myself downtown with nothing to do for an hour...nothing to do that is if I hadn't given myself the challenge to take a picture a day and if I didn't have my camera handy. BUT, fear not, I did challenge myself and I did have my camera handy. As I was sitting in the waiting area of the restaurant, I had noticed that I could see the street outside through the reflection in the coat tree mirror. I continued to notice that I could see a view of the restaurant in the courthouse across the street...And the "Reflections" theme began. I dumped the pricey restaurant, grabbed some Dairy Queen and began my quest for things I could see when looking at other things.

I started thinking about how often in life we have that same experience in the not so literal sense. When I look at my cousin's little boy, for instance, I see my dad. I see his expressions, his mannerisms, his curiosity. He is a physical reflection of his kin. When people look at me, they see my mom. We walk alike, talk alike, look alike...I am a reflection of her. What about the non-physical traits? Do I reflect my heritage? Do I reflect all that my raised me to be? Do I reflect my faith? Are my hopes and dreams a reflection of the experiences I've encountered? Do I reflect joy in all situations or do I reflect the worries and frustrations that sometimes weigh on my heart? Do I reflect love to the unloveley? What do people see when they look at me? Then it occured to me that some people rush by life so quickly or just simply do no see beyond the surface layer of what they encounter. How often do we get so caught up in something that we miss the reflection altogether? Sometimes the greatest gift is right there, we just don't see it.