Thank
You
“Did I
offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say
words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I
forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that
the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in
this world and the life to come.”
Henri
Nouwen
These are the kinds of
thoughts you have after you've dodged a big old bullet. I sat on the
screen porch yesterday and contemplated the beauty of Ann's garden;
the perfect velvety leaves of an angel-wing begonia, the blissful
movement of snowy clouds across the sky. I asked myself how I could
have spent a single day of my life not seeing the beauty and splendor
of creation? How can I get so bogged down in my petty peeves
that I don't notice how beautiful the world is? Having a close call
causes us to ask such questions.
Watching the news
everyday is like injecting poison into yourself, and then wondering
why you feel sick. I hope that somewhere in the world people are
having wonderful lives, and spreading love and appreciation to their
fellow-humans. I want to be part of that, and not part of the poison.
I know we can't bury our heads in the sand, but we can offer a word
of encouragement. We can tell someone how much we appreciate them and
all the things they do. We can say, I love you, and mean it—not in
a Hallmark sort of way, but in a way that lets them know it is the
essence of them, the truth of who they are, that we love, and not
simply what they do for us.
Everyone feels great
relief and gratitude when they survive something that could have
killed them. The trick is to feel it all the time, for everyone—even
for people you don't know; even for people who are different from you
in every way. That's the challenge we're facing. So, let me begin
here—thank you so much for reading this blog. I don't know who you
are, except for a few, but I know you're there, and I want you to
know how much it swells my heart to see that you keep coming back.
Here's some love and genuine appreciation—take it and share it.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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