Gloves of Kindness

 This morning, a memory surfaced that I realize has had a profound effect on my life.  I recalled my first grade teacher, Miss Johnson, standing in front of the class and putting on her "gloves of kindness". 

She would put the gloves on as she recited the golden rule: "Do to others what you would have them do to you".  I'm sure she taught us many other things that school year, but this is what I remember and have carried with me throughout my life.

It's interesting that most major religions have some variation of the golden rule as a major tenet:

• Christianity:  "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets". Matthew 7:12
  
• Judaism:  "What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. This is the law: all the rest is commentary." Talmud, Shabbat 31a.
• Hinduism: "This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you." Mahabharata 5:1517 
  
• Islam:   None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." Number 13 of Imam "Al-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths." 
• Buddhism:  "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful." Udana-Varga 5:18
• Native American:  "All things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really One." Black Elk 
  

Some religions teach that we are born evil and are in need of salvation in order to be right before God. In my many years of working with very young children, I have to say I have found the opposite to be true. Even toddlers demonstrate compassion for each other.  If one child is hurt or sad, another will show concern, place an arm around that child, offer to get a band-aid or help in some way.

I remember my own granddaughter, when little more than one year old, hugging trees and flowers, seeming to feel an affinity for them as fellow life forms on planet Earth.

Children are born innocent...I believe that unkindness is learned behavior, often taught by observing the unkind words and actions of adults. I wonder if parents and grandparents (myself included) really think about the impact their everyday behavior has on their children. We are all imperfect and sometimes say or do things that are less than kind, but we can resolve to be mindful and self-reflective, striving to perform small acts of kindness every day, to say words that encourage rather than criticize and judge. It's so important that we allow our children to see us behaving in ways that demonstrate compassion and empathy for others, rather than disdain for the homeless beggar or road rage towards the careless driver.

We live in a country beset by political and cultural divisions, where, sadly, some children are learning hatred and intolerance of those different from themselves.  But maybe, if each of us resolves to perform small kindnesses every day and to teach this behavior to our children and grandchildren, the world will begin to change. We can certainly hope, pray and DO our best.

*Photograph by Marco Mancinelli, "The Age of Innocence"

Whatever is Lovely

There is a gentle, warm breeze this morning and the sound of leaves stirring is soothing and hypnotic. Last night's rain refreshed the earth... I can feel the happy vibes of the woods and gardens. My weary soul is renewed in this early morning moment, as I breathe deeply and drink in the beauty all around me.

Peace washes over me as I listen to the soft, plaintive cooing of the mourning dove. The songs of other birds become a symphonic background to this one lonely cry and now, the whir of hummingbird wings joins; all this together creating a morning masterpiece.                                                                                                                           Gratitude fills my heart, for the simple gift of life, for the breath that immerses us in all. In this moment, the place where I am standing is a special, magical world lit up by the spark of the Divine.

It doesn't matter what is happening in my life or in the world, because the calm and peace that I feel radiates from within and connects to all that is good.

A verse comes to mind, from Philippians 4:8:

"Whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable; if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things....and the God of peace will be with you".

Certainly, we are not to ignore our problems or turn away from the need that is ever present in the world, but we all need moments of "filling up", so that we have a strong core to withstand the storms of life. And gratitude for "all that is lovely" is essential for our spiritual health.

Thank you oh Master Designer, for being our filling station!

 

Garden Therapy

 The early morning is soft and gray... I walk through the garden without my glasses, the colors of the flowers muted and indistinct, like a Monet painting. As I breathe deeply, I feel immersed in a cloud; the early dew seeping into my parched soul. I see that the garden has come alive: the Hydrangeas and Rose of Sharon have opened; Shasta daisies, Echinacea and Day lilies are in the middle of their month-long display, and I am filled with gratitude for the beauty of flowers.

I remember reading once that flowers, more than anything else in creation, speak to us of the nature of God. They exist simply to be beautiful and to create nectar for the bees, who in turn pollinate everything in nature.They fascinate our senses with their intricate and varied designs, beautiful fragrance and spectacular array of colors. Who else but a loving God would create something so lovely to paint the earth and remind his children to appreciate beauty in all its forms?  The evidence for the Creator is truly in the creation.

When I was going through a particularly difficult period in my life, I planted many of the flowers that so bless me now. I had the feeling that if I could create something beautiful for each painful experience, I would transform my world in some way.  It worked, in many ways, at least to help me through that time, and now, the garden has become a peaceful sanctuary, a place to rest and heal. There is a lot of maintenance of course, but even the act of working in the garden is therapeutic. The plants absorb pain, sadness and grief and offer their gifts of peace and loveliness in return.

When my daughters were young, we read The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, a well-known classic about the healing power of a garden. The girls loved the story and every so often we would watch the movie-it always made us cry.  I will finish today's reflection with a lovely quote from the book that speaks to my heart:

“Sometimes since I've been in the garden I've looked up through the trees at the sky and I have had a strange feeling of being happy as if something was pushing and drawing in my chest and making me breathe fast. Magic is always pushing and drawing and making things out of nothing. Everything is made out of magic, leaves and trees, flowers and birds, badgers and foxes and squirrels and people. So it must be all around us. In this garden - in all the places.”