Monday, May 5, 2008

No Regrets

I have wept in the night
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody's need made me blind;
But I have never yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind.
-Anonymous

Kindness. I often get caught up in my own insecurity and I forget to concentrate on the other person's needs. When I was growing up, my mother insisted that I remember the Golden Rule..."Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you." I lived by that for many years, but in the struggles and conflicts of life, I find myself forgetting to practice it.

We see unkindness around us every day--just read the newspaper or listen to the local news. How many of the worst offenders were treated badly at some point in their lives? How could one thoughtful act have changed their lives for the better?

Kindness is a beautiful action. It can change a person's state of mind. It can melt a hardened heart. It can grow love where love may not now exist, but to make it happen, we have to step outside of our own walled-up comfort zone and truly be concerned about the feelings of others. How can we help? Are we really trying to understand another's perspective? Are we selfishly thinking of ourselves...unwilling, to be the first to step forward, with our hand reaching out in love? We may even feel wronged by the other person. Can we make the Christ-like sacrifice to forgive?

May we never have to reget our actions. Each moment is a new beginning...it's not too late to incorporate the Golden Rule into our everyday lives.

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