about a year ago many of us were glued to silent television screens while 33 chilean miners were extricated from deep within the earth. as they were pulled, one at a time, from underground, family, friends, and many around the world vowed their support and undying attention. 365 days later many of them are struggling to deal with the difficulties they faced and some are confused by the brief celebrity they felt the fleeting warmth of.
there is a christian mystic who wisely said, “be kind to everyone, for theirs’ is a difficult journey.” this hits me as far truer than i’d like it to be.
for a few moments, right now, think about your own life and the community of people who surround you. who among you have faced loss or tragedy this year? who has experienced difficulties at home or work? is there a child who struggles at school or a parent who struggles in their vocation? are there individuals who are lonely or people who are in need of solitude?
life moves quickly and we are pulled in a multitude of directions. for this one moment or this one day might you take the opportunity to recognize the difficulty of someone’s journey for the sake of comfort and connection? our journey’s are difficult...kindness matters.
to read my original post on the miners please see: mining for simplicity