Compassion

I just know that I am not going to be able to put into words what I want to say tonight.  This is the thing....we never ever know what is going on inside another.  Some people are more transparent than others, we look at their facial expressions and body language for clues about what is going on inside. We try to size people up, try to figure out who they are, what they are about, where they are coming from.  But you never truly know what is going on inside the heart and soul of  another.....the people that pass you on the street....or those closest to you.  You never know what insecurities, fears, demons lurk there.  You have no way of  knowing all the stories...all the experiences that have led them to this moment in time.    It is the one thing, I guess, that is completely our own...our history, our emotions, our reactions, our choices.

We don't know what burdens another carries...and yet we.... all......everyone of us continue to pass judgement on each other.  I know I do it.  I think it is a safety mechanism.  It's how we make sense of the world, it's a self-preservation skill.  But once we get past that animal instinct....we need to stop and think...and realize that everyone laughs and cries and needs love...the giving and receiving.  And this world can be beautiful...but it can also be ugly....and everyone hurts....some more than others.   And everyone reacts to hurt differently and tries to heal that hurt differently.

There is far too little compassion in this world.  We are harsh with each other.  We judge, we tease, we fight, we bully.  I hope that I can choose compassion.  Not just when it's easy....but when it's the last thing I'm feeling.  I can't know the hurt that my friend or neighbor or family member feels, but I hope that I can hold out my hand to someone in need....and make a difference.....if only for a moment.

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle."

~ Plato