I have been fortunate to connect with so many of you this year. Thank you for the love and nourishment that you have extended me. I am most thankful for the influences I have had; the teachers and scholars that I have followed that have helped mold my view so I could be more easily heard. I have found that through these associations, the more I look the more I find. It is wonderful to obtain that kind of fulfillment.
I used to dance in the dark with strangers. Those days are behind me. The lights are now on and they are LED and bright! This illumination bathes me and by that it seeps down into my soul. I have sought this year to report on kind people because I believe in celebrating those of great mind and heart. The spread of kindness is not just a motto, it is a way of life and I am very grateful to have the desire planted in me to do this very important work.
Here we are at year’s end, and the end of another decade. I want to take this opportunity to speak directly to you.
Husbands – Grasp this…you are the one she chose. When she chose you, she left her independent life and melded hers into yours. Treat her as your Queen. Always elevate her as she is the one who is responsible for your heart.
Wives – He carries the weight of the family on his shoulders. Keep him in arms reach and provide a neck rub when he is tense. Be sure he always has comfortable shoes to stand in.
Children – Listen intently to your adults. Turn away from scoff and scorn, instead turn to encouraging words. Don’t be in such a hurry; take the time to savor each and every accomplishment and goal. What is ‘now’ will fade away each night you lay your head down to sleep. Take time to learn every day.
Friends – Reach back when hands are extended. Accept warmth and transfer it to those you encounter next. The old adage ‘Pay It Forward’ is not merely an expression, it is a call to action, and the doings that result will resonate.
The generations that follow us are facing the terrifying issue of climate change. We are counting on them to do better than we did. They have a long road ahead without a clear and concise game plan. I say to them, for every bruise and bump you receive in your quest to improve the world entrusted to us, may your methods and strategies be well-won and fruitful. Keep striving, and if you have to leave a footprint, leave one of love and kindness.
In closing these reflections, I would like to share these words: twice this week someone told me that by their association with me, I had made them a better person. I was so humbled by these expressions of goodness. If I was, indeed, the one who bettered the path of a fellow human then I am filled with gratitude for that means this movement we have started together is working, and one by one we will all grow in our humanity.
Whenever a writer puts a pen to paper it is always with the hope of reaching a kindred audience; either we write to inform, persuade, or just simply to share. Everyone has a story, thank you for following along through mine.
