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Lifelong Learning – Puzzle Pieces

I am one of the lucky ones.  I enjoy my job!  I am truly amazed by all of the talented and knowledgeable individuals I get to spend time with every day, when I must leave my family.  And, I am truly inspired that I get to be a piece of the big picture and that my contributions seem to matter – it’s just like being a piece of a puzzle.  The way I see it, there are no unimportant pieces! 

When putting a puzzle together, I think most people, start with the straight-edged pieces, forming the border, or the foundation first.  I know I do.  Not only does it give me a framework from which to operate, but it also sets boundaries and parameters, which is important not only with puzzles, but with life.  I believe it’s critical we all have and know our boundaries and parameters, and we work with solid foundations!

After the border is complete, I’ve seen many people do many different types of puzzle-solving to put the big picture together.  Personally, I like to sort pieces into colors, or by their identifying marks depending on the picture on the box, which by the way, I use as a blueprint for solving my puzzle.  I refer to the picture almost constantly while trying to fit my pieces into place.  My puzzle skills are consistent with the rest of my life, I believe.  In general, I like to be organized and have a plan of attack for my tasks.

All four of my children attack puzzles quite differently.   My daughter, Chloe, wants help when doing a puzzle.  She wants to work with others.  For her, doing a puzzle with someone else is a must or she’d rather not do it at all. I think it’s more about the social interaction than the actual puzzle.   She is definitely a people person and I can see these skills cross over into her normal everyday life.  She would rather be with people any day than have “alone time”. 
My daughter, Aly, on the other hand is one of those people that will walk by the puzzle as others are doing it, look around for a minute or so, then pick up a random piece and try to fit it in the puzzle.  She’ll hang out at the puzzle for 5-10 minutes, but then she will move on to another task, unless no one is working on the puzzle, then she’ll sit a while.  She doesn’t mind helping others and enjoys spending time with people-family, friends and teammates, but she also cherishes her alone time, and sometimes would rather work alone as an outlet.

Payton is my go-with-the-flow kid.  She can work on a puzzle by herself or with others, for 5-10 minutes or an hour…just as with everyday life, she doesn’t necessarily have to have a pattern or plan.  Payton might look for certain pieces, or she might just grab a random piece.  She “fits” either way and is fine if plans change.  Payton is very spontaneous and adaptable.

The one thing about puzzles…if all the pieces aren’t there, the picture isn’t totally complete, and doesn’t really work.  I’ve had that happen before, as I’m sure you may have.  I’ve put a puzzle together and found a piece or two missing.  First, I look on the floor, the chair, my clothing to see if the pieces can be found.  This is my son, Jayson’s area of expertise.  Jayson has a hard time doing puzzles, but he’s the guy to have around when you need that missing piece.  His job may not seem important, but it is.  He accepts and even embraces the role that he plays in situations like this in his everyday life. He is actually quite amazing at finding missing pieces, and he’s definitely the guy that quietly keeps track of everything going on around him.  I never panic if I can’t find something in the house – I just ask Jayson.

So back to my puzzle… if I can’t find a missing piece, to complete my puzzle, I am disappointed even though I’m still able to get the gist of the whole picture.  And to me, it doesn’t matter if it’s a corner piece or a middle piece.  Such is the way I view my life.  When I am working with a group or working on a task, if someone or something is missing, the task may get completed, but may, even ever so slightly be lacking.  Whether I’m coaching my kids’ teams, or working on a committee, I try to remember that every person involved has worth and is needed, and that without their input, their help and their expertise, the outcome will be incomplete.  Have a great day, and know that what you do, no matter your role, makes a difference to someone and their picture of the world around them.

Lu Sweet, Ed.D.