If you could choose the very last thing you see before you die, what would it be?
If I were to die this moment, I would like to have the ocean before my eyes. Wide open ocean, the sound of waves lapping against the shore, the smell of sea salt in the air. Not only is the ocean a world of stunning beauty, it is also an amazing force of Mother Nature. The ocean can evoke a sense of chaos and turmoil while at the same time produce feelings of peace and tranquility. I find the ocean to be a sort of proverbial rock in my life. It’s presence a necessity, knowing I can reach out to it for calm, relaxation, inspiration and stability. I can stare at the ocean for hours and never tire of its beauty. The rhythm of the waves - be they rough white caps or almost still as glass. The way the sun reflects off the water, giving the illusion of glitter shimmering atop the surface of the sea. Looking out into the horizon, seeing only a great expanse of water that is ultimately connected to every other body of water on earth. I find this all very peaceful and tranquil. It is a place that feeds my mind, body and soul. Yes, there is something incredibly calming to me about the ocean. I am drawn it and I can’t think of anything else I would rather see in the moments before I die.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
A Life Lesson
If You Could Teach Your Children Only One Lesson in Life, What Would it Be?
Let’s all put aside the fact that I have no children, have no desire to have children and well, really don’t like them all that much (with the exception of my fabulous niece and nephew of course) before I answer this. Flipping through my “What If” book, there are a plethora of questions I could have chosen to answer, none of which have to do with children. So why choose a question that doesn’t technically pertain to me or my life? I guess I figure all children grow up to be adults and there are certainly lots of lessons that many adults out there could learn. Maybe I was drawn to this question after talking to my mom last night about the values that I believe she instilled in me growing up, values I possess today. Maybe this question intrigues me because I believe that what we learn in our childhood environment shapes us as adults. Maybe I just wish there was a little more good in humanity as a whole.
So, back to the question. I always have an initial response to these questions but then as I think about them they become harder to answer. There are many important lessons that a child should be taught…love, respect, responsibility, kindness, esteem, courage, strength, independence….the list goes on. But if I were to teach a child one thing I would teach him/her compassion. Compassion is defined as the “sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it”. I think compassion goes even further than this. Having compassion requires the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes. It requires one to have respect for any human being based solely on the fact that they are human. It requires one to reserve all judgement. It requires the ability to accept and embrace differences. To have compassion one must have love in one’s heart. Having compassion can inspire action for change. It may educate. It may simply be a gift given to someone in need of love, respect and understanding. As someone who knows what it is like to perhaps be a little different than the general population, I know firsthand that compassion can be a very welcoming warm hug. It is something that everyone should consciously practice. Yes, I think the world could use a little more compassion.
Let’s all put aside the fact that I have no children, have no desire to have children and well, really don’t like them all that much (with the exception of my fabulous niece and nephew of course) before I answer this. Flipping through my “What If” book, there are a plethora of questions I could have chosen to answer, none of which have to do with children. So why choose a question that doesn’t technically pertain to me or my life? I guess I figure all children grow up to be adults and there are certainly lots of lessons that many adults out there could learn. Maybe I was drawn to this question after talking to my mom last night about the values that I believe she instilled in me growing up, values I possess today. Maybe this question intrigues me because I believe that what we learn in our childhood environment shapes us as adults. Maybe I just wish there was a little more good in humanity as a whole.
So, back to the question. I always have an initial response to these questions but then as I think about them they become harder to answer. There are many important lessons that a child should be taught…love, respect, responsibility, kindness, esteem, courage, strength, independence….the list goes on. But if I were to teach a child one thing I would teach him/her compassion. Compassion is defined as the “sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it”. I think compassion goes even further than this. Having compassion requires the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes. It requires one to have respect for any human being based solely on the fact that they are human. It requires one to reserve all judgement. It requires the ability to accept and embrace differences. To have compassion one must have love in one’s heart. Having compassion can inspire action for change. It may educate. It may simply be a gift given to someone in need of love, respect and understanding. As someone who knows what it is like to perhaps be a little different than the general population, I know firsthand that compassion can be a very welcoming warm hug. It is something that everyone should consciously practice. Yes, I think the world could use a little more compassion.
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