Paradigm Shift

Perspective is everything, especially when it comes understanding other people. Jessica, from Buena Vista, Virginia, was a nanny for a family facing marital problems. In time, the wife chose to move with Jessica and the children to their grandparent’s home. Throughout their stay there, Jessica felt ignored and belittled by the children’s grandmother. Though she was tempted to confront the woman, Jessica decided to befriend her instead. She took simple, everyday opportunities to talk with the grandmother and learn more about her. By the time Jessica moved away, a feeling of warmth and respect had developed between them. “It felt like I just grasped this new tool in being human and being with other humans. … I had influence on the way people saw me and I had influence on the way I could see other people,” Jessica explains.