So
Many Roads
“So
many Gods, so many creeds.
So
many paths that wind and wind.
While
just the art of being kind
is
all the sad world needs.”
Ella
Wheeler Cox
I
saw this quote on a wooden plaque in a funky little folk-art store
yesterday. It resounds more clearly with me this morning. My 50th
High School Reunion reminded me that traveling life's road for a long
time is a great equalizer. Along the way, we all rough out about the
same, like a good piece of wood sanded down to reveal its grain and
bring out its true colors. Many people did not come, many have passed
on, but those who did were happy to be among friends.
You
know that old adage, “Don't judge a book by its cover.” I
believe in it more today. I'm sure that people who knew me 50 years
ago had all sorts of impressions about who I was and where I was
headed. I had them about others, too. And almost none of them held 50
years later. Surprisingly, people remember with regret the slights
and unkind acts they engaged in as young people, including me, and
are genuinely sorry for them. We all have amends to make. I guess the
closer we move toward the great abyss, the more we need to clear the
record.
It
was not the sort of reunion where people kick up their heels and
consume a great deal of alcohol. It was more the kind in which people
speak to each other from the heart. Where we remember who is here and
who is gone, and hold each other up with affection. And that's what
we really need, isn't it? All we truly require is to give and receive
sincere kindness. I am so glad I came, and look forward to more
conversations with old friends.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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