“And God said, Love your enemy, & I obeyed Him & loved myself.” ~Khalil Gibran
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. ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
NOTE: Kindness – Kind acts and kind words are humble, transforming, free, and transferrable. They’re usually not headline worthy. They don’t scream and shout for attention. They turn the darkness into sunshine. I’ve been the recipient of many kindnesses in my life. Each kindness reminds me there are many more good people in this world than the nasty kind. Each kindness touches me in such a way that I want to share the joy the kindness brought by paying it forward. Each kindness reminds me life is worth living.
Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. ~ Mother Teresa
NOTE: I go for a walk each evening after I finish my dinner, clear the table, clean up the mess I’ve made, and turn on the dish washer. It’s a gratitude walk. I give thanks for each of things I am grateful for that I witnessed during my day while I walk. I can’t help but smile as my list grows. I’ll see other people walking, I give them a smile and a “Have a great evening” greeting. Most don’t have a smile when I see them, but when I give them my smile and greeting, they smile and return a greeting. For a brief moment, they let their troubles go. For a brief moment, their world is a bit kinder. It’s easy to do, all one has to do is give a smile and a greeting to bring a bit of sunshine into someone else’s life.
NOW must I these three praise —
Three women that have wrought
What joy is in my days:
One because no thought,
Nor those unpassing cares,
No, not in these fifteen
Many-times-troubled years,
Could ever come between
Mind and delighted mind;
And one because her hand
Had strength that could unbind
What none can understand,
What none can have and thrive,
Youth’s dreamy load, till she
So changed me that I live
Labouring in ecstasy.
And what of her that took
All till my youth was gone
With scarce a pitying look?
How could I praise that one?
When day begins to break
I count my good and bad,
Being wakeful for her sake,
Remembering what she had,
What eagle look still shows,
While up from my heart’s root
So great a sweetness flows
I shake from head to foot.
You smile upon your friend to-day,
To-day his ills are over;
You hearken to the lover’s say,
And happy is the lover.
‘Tis late to hearken, late to smile,
But better late than never;
I shall have lived a little while
Before I die for ever.
Welcome to Episode 70 of “Journey from Grief to Healing” with Dr. Ray Calabrese. In this episode, Dr. Ray shares his experience with well-intentioned people who offer quick fix solutions to grief and underscores the complexity of the emotional process. There is no straightforward path to healing, as he likens grieving to peeling an onion – revealing deeper layers as you progress. It is not about searching for immediate cures but understanding and coping with the journey.
During the episode, he emphasizes the power of shared experiences and the importance of storytelling and active listening in the healing journey. He details his personal encounters, giving perspective on how sharing grief stories plays an essential part in the healing process. Painful as it may be, sharing your untold story enables deeply buried emotions to be released. And within these shared experiences lies the seed of healing.
What makes this episode special is the light it shines on support and understanding within the grieving community. The grieving process is significant to our shared human experiences. And in this mutual understanding and sharing, an empathetic connection with others going through the same journey is fostered. It’s about turning our wounds into a source of light.
You can listen to Episode 70 on your favorite podcasting app or click here for Episode 70.
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“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
NOTE: Wherever we are, that’s where we are. We may not like our circumstances or the people in our sphere. We have a choice. We can become a bitter, backstabbing person, whose only desire is to contribute to the darkness. Or, we can choose to bring light to the darkness. When we bring a light to the darkness we have the opportunity to become the master of our circumstances. Each moment becomes a defining destiny moment demanding our best. If we continually choose to be a light in the darkness, we’ll have made a great difference with our life.
NOTE: We need each other. Even the most independent, self-reliant individuals need others. When we are awake to the need in others we have an unique opportunity to offer our assistance. I recall when my wife an I were driving on I-10 east of Tucson, Arizona. It was a hot desert day. We stopped to get gas and use the restroom. When we were getting ready to pull away from the pump, my wife put her hand on my forearm and pointed to a car in the next island. A little girl, perhaps five or six years old, fell down and was crying (really screaming loudly). Her parents were trying to console her and watch their three other children. My wife reached into the glove box and pulled out a package of Dora bandages (she loved Dora bandaids). She took several bandaids out and went to the family. She showed them to the little girl and handed them to the girl’s mom. The little girl stopped crying. She was admiring her Dora bandaid. Sometimes one person makes all the difference in another’s life. We do need each other.
