From one day to the next I find myself searching for tiny bits joy. I listen to the the laughter of children waiting for the school bus on the corner of my street while I sip on my morning tea. I hear the doves cooing on my roof. I watch the sunrise and see my younger neighbors leaving for work. The everyday routine early each morning relaxes me and fills my heart with gratitude. I celebrate the quiet as I meditate and feel a certainty that the simplest moments of living are often the best.
When I fill the well of my coffee maker I am grateful that I live in a place where the water is so clean and pure. It’s easy to take such things for granted until I read about souls who have no running water. I think about the homeless, the refugees, the immigrants who deserve a good life like I have but are still searching for the security that keeps me warm when it is cold and cool when it is hot.
I often stop in the middle of cooking to marvel at the bounty that fills my pantry and refrigerator. The aroma of spices fills my kitchen throughout the day as the three of us who live hear prepare breakfast, lunch, dinner and sometimes a snack. I can’t help but think of those who are starving. Perhaps my mother reminded me of those who are hungry so much when I was a child that I feel humbled by the food that is always available for me.
I am energized by the small group of students that I teach. They are looking toward the future while my own life is slowing down. It is wonderful to feel their enthusiasm and to see them progress in their stages of learning. They make me feel connected to our society. They chase away the loneliness that I might otherwise feel if I only sat at home growing older each day.
I treasure my books and the music that often wafts through my home as I do my chores or write by blogs and stories. I think of the teachers and professors who made me a citizen of the world by widening my horizons and points of view. They taught me the importance of never ceasing to learn. They showed me how to grow and change so that I am not a stagnant individual who is grumpy because the world is seemingly not what it used to be. I instead celebrate progress and adapt to the wonder of invention.
I have a home, a big yard, a car to take me wherever I wish to go. In a world filled with war, hunger and want I live comfortably at peace only minutes away from every convenience that I may ever need. I have the ability to live better than kings of old with all of my modern inventions. Top notch medical care is just down the road. I have everything that anyone actually might desire to feel satisfied.
My own good fortune causes me to think of those whose lives are filled with dangers and want. I know that I have a responsibility to do more than simply think of them, but knowing what to do is complex and confusing. Good wishes need to be accompanied with actions and yet I wonder how one person like me can even make a dent in solving the problems that are so big. Such questions consume my thoughts and the only solutions that I find seem so small when compared to the enormity of the problems in our world.
I take the lead of many of my friends who regularly do good deeds within their communities. I suppose that if each of us exhibited the kindness of my friends Linda or Melissa or Paula on a regular basis the blight that we see would begin to change. Even small gestures multiplied many times over make an exponential difference in the lives of those who have not enjoyed the many blessings that have defined my own life.
It would be easy for me to simply acknowledge that the world has always had winners and losers. I might shrug my shoulders and note that it’s just the way things are and I have no power to change them. Looking the other way in the face of need is easy. Stopping to help is taking a risk that may or may not improve things at all. Still I know that what makes humans the most wonderful is when they take the time to honor and respect one another. Even the least among us is important. As my mother always insisted, “There but for my own good fortune” it might be me wandering in a state of hunger longing for a home.
Drought, famine, war, violence, disasters, tragedies are all around us. We can’t tackle them all alone but together we can make a difference. Instead of demeaning the suffering people of the world or pushing them out of our sight we might ask ourselves what we might do to comfort them. Maybe it would be donating time and goods to a food pantry or offering funds to those who feed the world. We might consider voting for individuals who are willing to share our bounty with those really need a helping hand. A few minutes and a few pennies add up quickly when each of us plays a part in making the world better. Everyone in every place deserves to feel as content as I do. There is no time to waste. Each of us has a role to play in bettering the world. We find the most joy when we share whatever we can with those who are struggling to find what we already have.
All It Takes Is A Little Love 