Shades of Grey

I see everything in shades of grey. Especially my hair. It's amazing what having 4 children can do! Seriously though, everything is grey to me. I see very few things in black and white. Our preschool has a cutoff date of Sept. 1st for kids to be either 3 or 4 years old and eligible for enrollment. Yesterday someone called and asked if their child could enroll for 2008, but they won't turn 3 until Oct. 4th. For my wife, this is a black and white issue. Cutoff is 9/1, the child doesn't make the cutoff, the answer is no. For me, I wrestle with a lot of 'yes, buts...' and I want to make it work. The truth is, however, in the past when we have relaxed this standard, we've had trouble with the younger children because they're just not developed enough to take an active part (or passive, when necessary!) in the class. We've even had to remove kids from the program because of this. So, there's a reason we have that standard, and I'm thankful for people like my wife who see things in black and white and help me to keep perspective. The Preschool example is just something that came up this week, but this type of thing happens all the time, and I am constantly struggling within myself about what the right answer is. I'd be horrible as a judge or even a jury member, because every time a defense attorney made a point I'd end up agreeing with them, until the prosecutor made his/her case, and then I'd see the merit of their points as well. But, there are also a lot of times where seeing things in shades of grey helps me not to make snap judgments or quick decisions that later turn out to be wrong. I am one to examine a lot of different angles and get as much information as I can before having to make a decision. This has helped me in a lot of situations. It also helps me to counsel people, and to show grace when others might show judgment. It's not always easy (or very colorful!) to see everything in shades of grey, but that's who I am and I have learned to be aware of it and accept it. Heck, I even voted for Taylor Hicks on Idol '06, just because he had hair like mine!