its hard to be miserable when i have so much to be grateful for. happiness overwhelms all other emotions because the reasons i have to smile countlessly outweigh the reasons to frown. life is about balance, its about perspective, its about giving out what you hope to receive. but each experience is individual and without being able to slip on someone elses boots we should not judge the path they tread. today on a journey from a to b i passed a man sat with a sign, homeless and asking for help, so i popped into the nearest shop and bought him some food and toiletries. i have since been asking myself, what kind of help was that? i just added to his baggage, more things to sadly get sodden while he has no roof for shelter. i cant make a substantial donation to any other person, monetary or otherwise, i just about look after myself. but was my gesture merely a token one? did i buy those few things for his sake or mine? i cant decide but i acted with the intention of care. i wanted him to know i cared. we had a conversation, talked about nothing in particular and wished each other the best. i genuinely meant that. i genuinely hoped he would have a good day, week, year. it struck me that the best gift i could have given him today was not material, was not monetary, it was simply to treat him like a human being. the most painful thing to experience must be to be looked past, ignored, not seen as a fellow human being, day after day. all my life i have empathised with disadvantaged members of our society but only today did i realise my small effort to help could have actually made someone feeling even less human. that hurts. i didnt ask him what he would like, I presumed i knew what he needed, spent my money with not a word exchanged. he might have wanted 4 tinnies and some black bags. in future i would like not to take for granted that i know what is best for any one else. i will try not to forget how important basic human contact is, and how valuable it is to people facing their lowest ebb. i dont want to perform kind acts to satisfy myself. i want to do things because they make a genuine positive impact on others. ive experienced my fair share of anxieties and pain recently, feeling somewhat like im lacking the stability to deal with the weight of the things being thrown my way. but not only do i get treated like a human with every challenge i face, i am also only expected to be human by family, friends - old and new, doctors, nurses and strangers that show me compassion and empathy that gives me the strength to push through every hard moment. i could not do it without the support. i could not do it without people looking me in the eyes and genuinely caring about me. when people allow you to be broken, it stops you from breaking so much and when people care when they dont have to, it heals wounds. empty gestures are pointless and doing something for someone else, for your own sake, doesnt work. treat everyone like the human being you need to be treated as. show each person compassion and be genuine. dont be afraid, not even of your own ignorance. be open, be honest, be vulnerable. share love because it really, really helps.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 22:36:56 +0000
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