08/20/2021
“K” as in Kindness.
In this rapidly changing time of our lives and highly contagious mutations how can we cultivate the “K” variant?!
There is potential for us to be entering another six months or more of duress and unknown. I hope for you and for me that we can stay hopeful and open minded and embrace the fall especially when we stumble and trip. Hope is not for the fragile or closed minded, it takes muscle and a lot of heart.
Embracing The Fall … A Tale of Muscular Hope
No pun intended here …well maybe… If you are like me you are thinking what’s next, vaccinated not vaccinated, masks no masks, known unknown, seen unseen, will school be back in full swing, will I see my relatives for the holidays. All questions I still can not seem to answer with 100% certainty. I have been writing this article in my head for weeks now and haven’t been able to get it on the page. Until now, on uneven ground, it literally fell at my feet…
I took a hike up Sanitas last week and about 15 minutes in, huff puff, huff puff, I see a gal in her late teens go to sit down, I look down, I look up, and she is head over heels rolling down in the dirt. Head over heels, like in the movies, but it’s a rag doll or you know there is a mattress at the bottom of the staircase to cushion the fall, but there wasn’t. I ran as best I could up to her and braced her fall. She had no idea what had happened. I suspect she fainted and just went down hard. She was scraped up pretty badly on her forehead, palm, hip, knees. This had never happened to her before. She was confused, scared, nauseous, disoriented. I sat with her gently asking questions to comfort her and see if she was cognizant. I rubbed her back and let her know she was safe. I discovered her mom was on the hike as well making her way up.
In the moments we waited together a girl and her two climbing mates had come over with band aids, another man stopped with a water bottle, a couple coming up brought over a tissue and a cliff bar, 2 more oat bars showed up from somewhere, a man offered to catch up with Boulder Fire & Rescue down the hill. All of this in seconds, appeared out of thin air. Instant acts of kindness flooded the scene. Fluid in gender, white brown and pink skin colors, teens to sixties in ages, athletes and weekend warriors, all of it, all of us, all wanting the same thing. To be helpful…
Tears welling up as I write this in recognition of how we are all starving for opportunities to show our love and compassion, yearning to feel connected. It was a beautiful moment of human kindness. I am wishing this young girl well, sending love and light in her healing. I am in gratitude for her giving us this opportunity to remember what we all came here for, to remember that at the end of the day, we all want the same thing, to love and be loved, to feel safe and offer safety, and to live our lives to the best of our abilities in connection to others. Human Kindness. No virus can take that away from us, no mask, no mandate, no one, no how. As we embrace the fall I hope you can do both, be human and be kind. Stronger Together
If you are looking for ways to spread kindness these are some of my favorites!
· Phrases to keep on the top of your mind, to use often and with heart. Thank you. I love you. Please forgive me. I’m Sorry.
· Be a Pen Pal. There is nothing like getting a letter in the mail. I have boxes of letters from my life, friendships, love letters, poems, recipes, all precious memories that keep life dear. Bring back the lost art. It will brighten someone’s day!
· Give flowers, from your garden, the florist or the wild beauties on the trail. A dandelion and purple thistle can be spared from nature to create a smile.
· Share a meal. Cooking or baking for someone is a delicious way to show you care.
· Tell jokes! If you need material ask ANY seven year old and they will somehow have a plethora to share with you.
· Compliment someone for no reason.
· Smile at everyone!
Inspired by the blessings of Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes from her book Women Who Run With Wolves.
“One Stick, Two Stick”
In this story, an old man is dying, and calls his people to his side. He gives a short, sturdy stick to each of his many offspring, wives, and relatives. “Break the stick,” he instructs them. With some effort, they all snapped their sticks in half.
“This is how it is when a soul is alone and without anyone. They can be easily broken.”
The old man next gives each of his kin another stick and says, “This is how I would like you to live after I pass. Put your sticks together in bundles of twos and threes. Now, break these bundles in half.”
No one can break the sticks when there are two or more in a bundle. The old man smiles. “We are strong when we stand with another soul. When we are with others, we cannot be broken.”
A-Men and A Little Women
In Grace & In Peace,
~ Dr. M
There is potential for us to be entering another six months or more of duress and unknown. I hope for you and for me that we can stay hopeful and open minded and embrace the fall especially when we stumble and trip. Hope is not for the fragile or closed mined, it takes muscle and a lot of heart.
