Not that I am all that wise, but I really do believe life's experiences give us wisdom and a greater capacity for charity. Maybe it comes with the realization in interacting with people that no one is immune from trials and the dings that life can throw your way. I am convinced that we all have "stuff" that we have to muddle through, some big stuff, some small stuff. I am amazed hearing about the various trials that friends and acquaintances have endured. I am certain that when we see someone that seems to have the "perfect life", they may very well have things that they are dealing with that we could not imagine. I hope to gain more wisdom, greater love and increased understanding of others as I go through life. I love this saying by Plato (a very wise man, he was a philosopher after all) his words were wise in 428 B.C. and still hold true. If we took this mantra into our daily lives, life would be a bit easier all the way around!
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"Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle" P.S. Right after I posted this, I was listening to "Music and the spoken word" and they put exactly what was in my heart into these beautiful words: Some problems are more obvious than others. When someone is clearly struggling, we are usually quite empathetic. We see them limp through life, and most of us readily help in any way we can. We may even make great personal sacrifice to ease their burdens. Other times, however, the afflictions people endure might be completely invisible to the eye. Some struggles are silent; some burdens are carried privately. It may be an unhealthy relationship, a personal financial crisis, or a physical or emotional pain. Whatever the ailments, these silent sufferers may smile and seem to be all right, but inside they are barely holding on-and doing so alone. Perhaps we could be more observant. Maybe we should notice when hands clench with pain, when eyes glaze over with disappointment, or when cheeks are flush with embarrassment. Along with such subtle signs, we could pay attention to those quiet feelings in our heart urging us to help, even when others haven’t asked for help. One woman recalls how a friend noticed that she had started hanging laundry on the banister inside her home. She never told her friend that her clothes dryer was broken; she did not want to explain that she did not have enough money to repair or replace it. But this observant and kind-hearted friend paid for a repairman to fix her dryer. As much as the woman was grateful to have a dryer, she was more grateful to have a friend who cared enough to look beneath the surface of her life. Opportunities to help surround us, but they rarely come with engraved invitations. More often, they come with a gentle nudging in the heart, an intangible sense that we can help. As Saint-Exupery’s little prince wisely observed: “The eyes are blind. One must look with the heart." Perfect thoughts to live by and act on in this crazy world we live in! |
