compassion

"sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it"

"Heartfelt understanding of the human condition that encompasses the pain in oneself and others, dissolves judgment, and opens the way for acceptance. Sincere desire to alleviate suffering. " Angel Cards Book Kathy Tyler and Joy Drake

a few months ago my sister mentioned that she would like to bring compassion back into her teaching / classroom / school.

where and when did we loose our compassion? or perhaps we did not loose it but we forgot how to express it when we feel it.

at times, for me, the feelings are so strong and intense it becomes too overwhelming to be able to bring voice to it and express it to those in need. but as I learn to just listen and be there for those in need - not trying to do anything - just listen and talk through the pain, the feelings with them, true intimacy and compassion surface and begin the healing. we are a culture of doing and fixing - perhaps, instead of doing and fixing we can just listen and be with others, in a way that allows them to feel safe, then they can do and fix themselves and ask if and when they need the help.

surely teachers feel compassion for those they teach - for why would they teach? surely friends and family feel compassion for those they love...

yet, I have friends, good friends - I mean really good friends - who push and push and push... this drives me crazy and I no longer want them in my life when times are hard because compassion is what I need and want...

recently I have encountered more compassion from new friends who are younger, some of whom are gay men... many of my long term, female friends are strong women, a few years older than I am - many of them find it difficult to express compassion in a gentle way - has our culture required this of them as they made their way in trying to change the place of women? look at the difference between Hillary and Barack... look at the difference between Barack and Jesse Jackson...

the challenge for me is to find a way to express my compassion and remove my need to fix things... as my compassion is expressed and the conversation begins about the suffering, the pain, the block, the challenge, then I can offer my own experiences, challenges and wisdom to open up understanding and perhaps growth and healing in the other person. love - it is really expressing love, isn't it?... by revealing to others the lessons that helped me grow through my own challenges.


"Live with vision, intention and determination."