Kindness
Thinking Out Loud: Experiencing Moments of Grace
Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Boris Pasternack’s work, Dr. Zhivago.
“For a moment she rediscovered the purpose of life. She was here on earth to grasp the meaning of its wild enchantment and to call each thing by its right name.”
Note: Moments of clarity are few. They come to us unannounced. In those moments we know as we were created to know. I call them moments of grace. In these moments I know that I am part of something vast, wonderful, overflowing with an abundance of love. I want to remain in those moments, nothing else matters. The moments leave. They leave me recharged, filled with the Spirit, to move forward with a heart overflowing with hope and love.
Today’s Poem ~ Angels ~ by Francois Couperin.
Angels
Francois Couperin.
“To be an angel, one need not have wings.
In giving love there is an equal grace.
Nor need one seek the aura in the face,
As love unveils the beauty of all things.”
Thinking Out Loud ~ It’s What Friends are All About – A Lesson from Aesop’s Fables
Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Aesop’s Fable, The Bear and the Travelers. Aesop’s Fables is available for free download here.
The Fable
“Two Travelers were on the road together, when a Bear suddenly
appeared on the scene. Before he observed them, one made for a tree
at the side of the road, and climbed up into the branches and hid
there. The other was not so nimble as his companion; and, as he
could not escape, he threw himself on the ground and pretended to
be dead. The Bear came up and sniffed all round him, but he kept
perfectly still and held his breath: for they say that a bear will
not touch a dead body. The Bear took him for a corpse, and went
away. When the coast was clear, the Traveler in the tree came
down, and asked the other what it was the Bear had whispered to him
when he put his mouth to his ear. The other replied, “He told me
never again to travel with a friend who deserts you at the first
sign of danger.”
Note: A friend is someone we count on when the going gets tough. I have lots of folks I’m friendly with. I know and am friendly with all my neighbors. But who can I count on when my back is against the wall? I am fortunate to have friends who would drop everything and help me. I hope they feel the same way about me. True friends are the glue that holds society together. Life has its difficult moments for everyone. During those difficult moments a faithful friend offers the strength we need to grind through. I hope you have true friends and offer true friendship to others.
Today’s Inspiring Quote ~ Make Kindness the Centerpiece of Your Day
Kind hearts are the gardens, Kind thoughts are the roots, Kind words are the flowers, Kind deeds are the fruits,
Take care of your garden And keep out the weeds, Fill it with sunshine, Kind words, and Kind deeds.
Today’s Poem ~ Make Me a Channel of Your Peace by St. Francis of Assisi
Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
St. Francis of Assisi
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Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
October 4th – Feast Day of St. Francis of
Thinking Out Loud ~ Thinking About Consequences ~ A Lesson from Aesop’s Fables
Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Aesop’s Fable, The Boys and the Frog. Aesop’s Fables is available for free download here.
The Fable
“Some mischievous Boys were playing on the edge of a pond, and,
catching sight of some Frogs swimming about in the shallow water,
they began to amuse themselves by pelting them with stones, and
they killed several of them. At last one of the Frogs put his head
out of the water and said, “Oh, stop! stop! I beg of you: what is
sport to you is death to us.”
Note: When I read this fable I thought about how I could apply it to contemporary society. The thoughts streamed through my mind. I thought about people racing down the road where the speed limit is 40 miles an hour. They’re traveling at 70 miles per hour. There are consequences to everything we do. What’s a game to them but it could be a death trap for people trying to obey the law. What about people who use social media to bully others, make fun of others, and disrespect others? What’s fun to them really hurts other people. It’s good to look at what we do and reflect on it. When we do something that hurts others it’s also hurting us as well; we may not realize it but it does. I like the saying treat other people as you would like to be treated.
Feel Good Tip ~ A Recipe for a Great Day
What’s on the menu? I hope having a great day is today’s special. Much like a great meal, a great day takes effort. It doesn’t happen until we decide to add all the special ingredients. These are the ingredients I put into my great day: (Hint:add generously) smiles, gratitude, kindnesses, reaching out to speak/connect to others, reading and viewing things that make me feel better. My great day just got greater writing this post.
Poem for Today ~ True Kindness is a Pure Divine Affinity
True Kindness is a Pure Divine Affinity
Henry David Thoreau
True kindness is a pure divine affinity,
Not founded upon human consanguinity
It is a spirit, not a blood relation,
Superior to family and station
