The other day I was driving around town doing errands when an older, slightly beat up, gold-colored car suddenly pulled into the road in front of me. I had to brake hard to avoid hitting them and I audibly yelled, “What the f*!#!” as my heart rate rose with my anger. Even with braking, I practically crawled up their tailpipe.
I figured it was another damn distracted driver looking at their phone rather than paying attention to their driving. And I really hate drivers who do that. I look forward to the day they invent technology that disables phones while a car is moving.
Then I saw the driver’s gray hair on a head that barely peeked over the car seat.
My heart instantly melted. I smiled, waved at them, and gave them all the space they needed as if to say, “Sorry. I understand. I love you.”
Over the past few years, two of the biggest changes in my life are that I became an uncle to a wonderful niece and nephew, and my Dad became a nonagenarian – he is an amazing 94-year-old! Two fantastic experiences at the opposite ends of life’s spectrum. And as a result, I have noticed that the ends of my compassion have grown immensely.
I notice that whenever I see a small child, I cannot stop smiling and sharing in their wonder and exploration of the world, for in their eyes, I see my niece and nephew. And whenever I see their parents, I send them love because I understand more deeply what a difficult, challenging and important job they have. In their struggles, I see the struggles of my brother and sister-in-law.
And whenever I see one of our wise elders walking our planet, I cannot stop smiling and honoring their journey, for in their slow careful steps, I see my amazing Dad, and I want to reach out and hug them and let them know they are loved, honored and appreciated.
It is truly miraculous what a dose of understanding will do for your life.
These are gifts I never could have imagined receiving in my life. My love for all has expanded through my understanding and compassion for a few. It is as if my new understanding creates an umbrella of love for all those around me . . . and I never thought my heart could feel such love for complete strangers.
And that, perhaps, is the greatest gift one could ever hope to receive in life.
“It is with true love and compassion that we can begin to mend what is broken in the world.”
— Steve Maraboli
We are once again entering the holiday season. One of my favorite times of year because collectively, we humans pause, even if but for a moment, and we think of others. It is hard to fully express the power of compassion. I imagine that is because she is a sister to love, another emotion people find hard to express in words. But I think that is OK, for perhaps it is better to express both of those emotions through actions.
This holiday season, why not test the bounds of your compassion and show someone how much you love them.
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Empire of Hope 