Recently my girl has been battling some major battles in her life. Emotional, physical, life altering. She is a lot like me, she keeps to herself. Her home and her life are where she finds peace and safety. The other day she did something that could be perceived as shocking, she decided to make a bold post on social media. She bared her soul, she laid it all out there. I didn't even really know how to respond, I didn't do so publicly, I didn't need to. I reached out to her personally. She is my baby, a huge part of my world.
As I read the comments, the coming together of her tribe, the people that responded and how they responded. My heart filled to bursting. And then to read her responses back to them. There are no words. She poured her heart back into each of them, taking moments of her life to affirm and lift them. Honestly, that post and all the replies back and forth should be made into a handbook on how to survive this rocky road we call life, and distributed to the world.
None of us has an easy road every day. We have stresses, personal disasters, health issues, financial problems, etc... you name it. I firmly believe when you are in the deepest, darkest part of your own journey how you treat others is what really matters.
You cannot pour from an empty cup, it's impossible. Don't believe me, finish off that morning coffee and try to pour that cup into another. Empty, right?
There are pictures and memes that have gone around forever of parents cutting bits of themselves to fill the holes in their children. All parents can understand doing without so that your children never do without. All parents can name more than a few times in their own lives that they made sacrifices either physically or emotionally for their children. Heck, folks are that way with their pets, their spouses, etc.
Something as simple as always giving your loved one the crust of the bread to dip in their soup, because you know they love it, even though you do too. Or getting up with the babies, the pets, the... fill in the blank, so they can rest. How many have stayed up late into the night helping their child through whatever is going on? Or sat for hours in the hospital beside someone that needed you?
All of those things are showing love, compassion and the ability to pour into others.
Are any of us perfect at this task. I say no. Do I firmly believe there are some that are far better than others, absolutely!! They are usually the ones that are stepped on the hardest by life, because they give of themselves without thought or concern and unfortunately it seems to be human nature to take without ever considering giving back. For some it is always a give me attitude.
Can you imagine the change if we could all shift our mindset. To one of complete gratitude. To a place of calm and love.
So when I ask are you pouring yourself into others, what I am asking is what are you doing on a daily basis to lighten the collective load? Did you pick up that random bit of trash? Give a few dollars to someone just short at the grocery store? Listen to someone needing a non-judgmental ear? Did you stop to help someone? Carry in groceries for a neighbor, help with yard work without being asked or paid? Walk a dog, water a garden, watch a child for a few hours without the expectation of pay? Did you cook a meal? Maybe take a trash can in? Did you share something you've made? Or help with a project that the other person was struggling with? This list is absolutely endless.
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| or taking a picture that you know your wife wants thank you Hubs! |
Maybe it's a path forward to healing our world. Instead of looking for differences, instead of looking for reasons to hate, maybe look for reasons to help. To be the light in someone's eyes instead of the fire in their glare.
I think I do a fairly decent job of pouring into others, but then things like my daughters open letter on social media remind me in a jarring manner that I fall very short. I allow things to sometimes eat at me, afraid to speak out on the hurt and then become distant and angry. I am reminded to do better. To be better.
I cherish the fact that there are so many people that are willing to step into the void for others. The absolute most precious gift we can give others in our time. It doesn't have a financial value (despite how we have been programmed to believe), it has a pure love value. Each of us is given so much of it when we are born. It is the truest, purest, most valuable gift we can give. And when we pour time into others, into making life a gift, a treasure, it adds infinitely to our own lives and value.
I need to do better, we all do. We are have moments that are overwhelming and sour, it's how we move forward that defines us.
Just my thoughts from the past week... now I'm back to my regularly scheduled busy schedule and life...
much love, b
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