What will you do?

Today I spoke with a friend who was very sad because she could not see the swirl of colors of the autumn leaves this year. Her sadness was compounded by the fact that her friends dismissed her feelings of loss. All she needed was some understanding, someone to say " I get it - sort of." You see, she has always enjoyed fall in NE Wisconsin. And anyone who has had the experience of those breathtaking colors can relate to her former excitement.

My friend is slowly going blind. Her progressive disease had been in remission until this fall. Although her eyesight had been dimmed, she dealt with it well. In fact, she has been a shining example of being thankful for what she has. I often marveled at her response and took it as an example for myself. Those days that I may have been cranky, sad or upset about something on my own journey, I would think of "Lee" and her mounting struggles. Her strength gave me strength.

We all have struggles and challenges. You may be dealing with a difficult relationship, illness, financial difficulties, or even a sense of emptiness that leaves you feeling hollow. One of the most profound sentences I have ever heard is this: treat every heart as though it were breaking.
Today it may not be your heart that feels as though it were breaking or that you just can't endure any more. But, what about the clerk in the grocery store, your next door neighbor, or even someone in your household?

Most people have a difficult time expressing their feelings of vulnerability. We have no way of knowing what they are going through, nor do they know what we might be enduring. So what if we, just for today, could enter the world of that cranky store clerk or nasty neighbor or someone close to us? What if we responded from our own place of integrity and understanding? It might lift them. It might restore their hope. If it doesn't you will still know that you made the world a better place by your positive energy. The only question is how you will handle those choices.

Namaste
DyAnn