- Jul 20, 2016
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Yesterday, as I was sitting outside and gazing at the sky, a memory flooded into my consciousness. It was from the olden days when I was in high school. In those years some of my friends hosted exchange students. The one in this memory was from Iran. (This was the late 1960s.) She was quiet and shy, which would be a completely normal reaction to coming to high school in Texas - the land of Friday night football, marching bands, drill teams, mini-skirts, bouffant hair, fast cars ..... the list goes on and on.
I liked her because she was a sincere person who had such a different life from mine, which I found it immensely interesting. We talked some, but I did not see her much. She had a tough time fitting in, and had to go home early for some reason (death in the family maybe).
The memory was from a football game. I was sitting in the bleachers with the rest of the drill team. It was my birthday. She came shyly to the side, telling me happy birthday and lifting up a small gift in tissue paper. It was a pair of her cufflinks - enamel set in in silver. (I'm sure they are around somewhere.) They were pretty, and I appreciated the gift. However, what moved me more was that she reached out to me and shared something that was hers. I felt blessed.
I started thinking about small kindnesses, and how important they may be in another's life - more than we might ever expect. I see our lives as a tapestry with interwoven threads of kindness. Sure the big designs are beautiful, but to me, it is the subtle shimmering threads that add the richness and texture. I appreciate them as part of the overall design.
With this memory and contemplation, I've found myself more aware today. A little girl reached out for two of my fingers so she could hold them with her hand that was in a cast. I felt one of those threads of kindness pass between us. I felt blessed that she wanted to hold my hand.
As my friend, Pod, pointed out, it is possible that the girl I knew in high school was passing on and looking through fond memories, which is why this popped into my head. I'm feeling a great sense of peace and closure, as I write this, so I think that is likely. I hope she had a good life and is off on her next adventure, and I thank her for the thread she added to my tapestry.
I liked her because she was a sincere person who had such a different life from mine, which I found it immensely interesting. We talked some, but I did not see her much. She had a tough time fitting in, and had to go home early for some reason (death in the family maybe).
The memory was from a football game. I was sitting in the bleachers with the rest of the drill team. It was my birthday. She came shyly to the side, telling me happy birthday and lifting up a small gift in tissue paper. It was a pair of her cufflinks - enamel set in in silver. (I'm sure they are around somewhere.) They were pretty, and I appreciated the gift. However, what moved me more was that she reached out to me and shared something that was hers. I felt blessed.
I started thinking about small kindnesses, and how important they may be in another's life - more than we might ever expect. I see our lives as a tapestry with interwoven threads of kindness. Sure the big designs are beautiful, but to me, it is the subtle shimmering threads that add the richness and texture. I appreciate them as part of the overall design.
With this memory and contemplation, I've found myself more aware today. A little girl reached out for two of my fingers so she could hold them with her hand that was in a cast. I felt one of those threads of kindness pass between us. I felt blessed that she wanted to hold my hand.
As my friend, Pod, pointed out, it is possible that the girl I knew in high school was passing on and looking through fond memories, which is why this popped into my head. I'm feeling a great sense of peace and closure, as I write this, so I think that is likely. I hope she had a good life and is off on her next adventure, and I thank her for the thread she added to my tapestry.
