The Voice of Opinion v The Voice of Wisdom

Opinion is a funny thing. It changes. I think of all the opinions I have held over the years and I cannot really think of one that has not been changed at some point. I have had opinions about many, many things in my life. It was developed at a young age because I grew up with very, very, very strong women who were not always wise but certainly always opinionated. Couple that with  my father, who by nature held on to his opinion like a drowning man to the side of a boat, I was doomed from the start. The only really good thing that opinion gave me over my youthful exploration was courage.

Then, at some point, my opinion sounded something like "I would NEVER do that..." or "I would NEVER act like that..." or even better, "Why would ANYONE be, think, act, like that..." In the great wisdom of God, I was always led into their shoes (or something like there shoes) so I could understand and see the opposing side of my own "I am sure I am right" opinion. So, for the sake of brevity, let me just say, opinion is personal, always subjective, and while sometimes right, it can also be horribly mistaken.

But wisdom is different. Wisdom comes from a place of experience and insight. It is something, unfortunately, that floats up AFTER you need it, not before. To me, it is the sweet smell of "the fragrance left by the violet when stepped upon." Wisdom ALWAYS, at least for me, carries with it a peacefulness that passes understanding, even in the face of someone else not understanding what you have to say. (I would say every parent on the planet has experienced the Voice of Wisdom being lost on their child.) But wisdom, it is the gold we receive for aging. If we are lucky, we have a vault full of it. If we have bypassed the wisdom, and missed our payday, we can always go back and collect through reflection. I wish that your vault always be full!