A Puzzling Life

I've been working on a jigsaw puzzle since Christmas day, 2007.  It's only a 700 piece puzzle but it's the biggest and hardest one I've taken on.  Almost every night after our girls are in bed, I come out to the living room, sit down on the floor and survey the progress.  Some nights are fruitful with many pieces laid down, other sessions last only a few minutes with maybe only three or four pieces found.

As I have studied the process of putting this puzzle together, I have noticed the metaphoric implications to my life.

• Finding the straight-edged pieces first and creating the framework – childhood.

• Looking for similarly colored pieces and focusing my attention on each of these areas – teens.

• Feeling frustrated and overwhelmed to the point of wanting to throw all the pieces back into the box! – adulthood (maybe once a week)

• Turning a corner when there are now more pieces put together than there are loose.  The full picture is emerging and it's beautiful!  The momentum has shifted and I'm now laying down several pieces within minutes. – adulthood (for me, in the fifties)

In the past, I've wanted to hurry through the puzzle, just to get it done.  This year I've been patient.  If it takes me until June, then so be it.  I'm enjoying being able to to see this beautiful scene take form piece by piece, day by day – something I get to practice out in the bigger puzzle of my life.

Now imagine that each piece of this puzzle represented one month in my life.  That would mean it would take me to about sixty years old.  Wow, not too far from where I am.  I think next Christmas I'll go for at least the 1,000 piece!