Thursday, July 7, 2011

An unfinished post

I want to recommend something today - a day of kindness. 

When we are very ill, even just a little ill, we can be taken by the illness.  That is, our minds can be taken over, especially by pain.  Maybe that's inevitable when we are actually dying, but if you were dying you wouldn't be reading this.  Whether the illness is of the mind, a dark landscape, a scatter of thoughts going off like pops of fire in a combat zone, or of the body, a severe physical pain, a map of aches, the mind can get very involved with this being in pain. So we are self-involved. An ordinary person, which is to say a somewhat narcissistic individual, can fall into a well of self, as if you were the last one alive. 

I have for some time had a little book in my bathroom that is all about kindness. On the cover is the face of a lovely monk smiling at me.  So it's like a small, humble poster there, reminding me. One of the things the book recommends is vowing to be kind for one day.  Kind to everyone and everything.  Keeping in mind the question, Am I being kind right now?
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And here I just wore out.  These days I do that, just feel a topic go dry.  Usually I just go away, do something else.  When I come back, maybe it looks good and I finish it.  Maybe I erase it or file it as a draft. But today I'll just stop here.  If anyone does this, I'd enjoy hearing how it went. 

6 comments:

  1. Thank you for this. I'm going to be kind to everyone today.

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  2. I actually think you said enough. Kindness can heal pain and is worth cultivating. I have this problem finishing my posts sometimes too. These days I have trouble even starting them. Thanks for the reminder to be kind to myself today too.

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  3. Thanks Jan. Kindness was so rare in my childhood home that as an adult I had to puzzle to figure out what was meant when someone named another person as "the kindest person I ever met." Now I recall a couple of adults who tried to save me then; they just paid attention, were interested in me, listened. Then I guess that's what we have to learn to do to ourselves.

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  4. Oh my, you couldn't have given me any better words for today. I'm trying very hard to make a difference in the life of a child who has been through hell. Thank you so very much, it's good to know that it might do some good in the long run.

    With love and kindness,

    Jan

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  5. I love reading, sometimes rereading the "popular posts." Especially this one.
    Sending appreciation, and love

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