On 21 December 2005,
an unexpected tragedy hit my family. Our Mom, the incredible woman who bore us
and cared for us so deeply had passed away. Two days before that she had gone
in for a standard procedure operation, yet she didn’t recovery as expected…and
the actual cause is still a mystery to us.
However, this post is
not about my mourning or our mortality…but something much greater than that,
which is embracing life and the lives of others each minute while you still have
the chance. What we tend to forget is how fragile and gentle a life is when we
living in the fast lane (this isn’t directed at anyone specifically, but I am
hoping we can all relate to this in some way). Sometimes in life we become so
absorbed in our own lives, families and concerns, but to the extent that we
forget about OTHER people around us. We are so focused on what we want and
where we need to be that we don’t even notice the homeless man on the side walk
that simply needs a smile to make his day. We have become so rushed in life,
trying to climb the ladder and get the work done in our 12 hour day that we don’t
even notice the pain of a colleague due to circumstances in his/her life. We
have become so exhausted from the rat race that we forget to give our partner
or children an embracing “bear hug” with all the love in the world.
What it comes down to and something I have been recently learnt is “Appreciate the journey and not only the
destination.”
The human race has
become so goal orientated, which is fantastic don’t get me wrong, but in saying
that it comes at the sacrifice of the simplicities in life like family time
(and not around the tv), appreciating the beauty of the flowers in our garden or the breath-taking
sunset, telling our family we love them - and not just out of habit - giving a
colleague, friend or stranger a complement…just being kind and compassionate no
matter what we are feeling inside and taking the time to do so. I feel
incredibly strong about these two characteristics, amongst others, and strive
to show them each day. Trust me I don’t always get it right. I know that there
is an abundance of love, compassion and kindness in the world; I just wish we
would take the time to show it and embrace it each day…
I learnt kindness and
compassion from my dear blonde hair, green eyed beautiful Mommy. She was filled
abundantly with these characteristics and of course her love overflowed for us.
I no longer mourn her passing; however I will never get over her no longer
being around and will MISS her presence until the end of my time. It’s been an
overwhelming 8 years and the longing for her still remains and that will never
change. I was a tender teenager of 18, so naive and innocent, and the journey
to this day has been beautiful yet tough. In saying that I have grown, become
slightly wiser and stronger which is something I would like to believe carries
me every day.
I have had undying support over the years from my loving family, abundance
of close friends and partner, but most of all the support and boulders in my
life are my two darling sisters. Their love, kindness and support burst at
their seams and it is due to their motivation and belief in me, that I am where
I am today. And I can only thank them from the bottom of my heart for what they
have done in my life and pray for an abundance of blessings on their dear
lives.
Our parents, who
Yahweh has tenderly picked to be with him, (our father more recently) taught us something each in their own right. Our father taught us to appreciate the beauties of life and take time to simply observe. I believe that they are watching down on us with pride of who we are and will forever be within us.
So my challenge for us
is a 30 day trial of being kind and compassionate to someone EACH day…making someone
smile or laugh, being patient and loving to your partner, running a bubble bath
for your wife, cooking your husbands favourite meal, giving a complement to a
stranger, helping an older man cross the street, lifting a child to reach
something on the store shelf, buying a sandwich for a homeless man, visiting an
orphanage and sharing your love or whatever the case may be.
Let us simply
embrace life and the lives around us while we still have the chance…
X
ReplyDelete