I don’t remember what started it, but I was yet again saying “Patience is not one of the virtues I have.” Then I wondered what the others were, if I could remember. Thankfully my friend couldn’t remember either, so I didn’t feel like a total dork.

So we Googled it, and I now know all seven virtues:

1.Chastity
2.Temperance
3.Charity
4.Diligence
5.Patience
6.Kindness
7.Humility

I don’t think I have any of these. My friend laughed and pointed out that I do in fact have them, but she is looking at my life as a whole ,while I’m looking at my life day to day. And I realized my virtue is like Seurat’s painting A Sunday Afternoon.

From far away it’s a beautiful painting full of light, movement, clearly creating a clear image. But up close the picture blurs and all you see are the dots. Dots that make a dress, grass, or water. The picture is lost in the dots.
When I examine if I am virtuous, I see:

Photographer victoriapeckham

1.The pictures of half-naked men I’ve posted on Facebook this week.
2.That I yelled at the kids.
3.That I haven’t given money to anything recently.
4.That if given the chance, I will sit around and read while my to-do list grows by itself.
5.That I hate waiting.
6.That I ignored the kid who talks non-stop in the car.
7.That I bragged about my awesomeness.

My friend laughed and reminded me that:
1.I haven’t cheated on my husband.
2.That I am able to calm down kids throwing fits.
3.That I work for a charity.
4.That I have written, revised, and edited a novel.
5.That I will sit for hours in line at Comic Con.
6.That I am always willing to listen, offer a hug, and do my best to help.
7.uesI blush whenever I’m complemented.

This got me to thinking that maybe I should try to look at more of myself and my life from far away. Maybe by delving in to every aspect of my life with a microscope it’s easy to find mistakes, flaws, and failures. But if I step back and looked at the back week, month, year, then maybe I would be able to find the me that other people seem to see.
How to you judge yourself? Are you a better person from further away?