Compassion as an Opportunity
...waiting for the airplane to take off, I was happy to get a seat by myself. Just then, a flight attendant approached me and asked, "Would you mind changing your seat? A couple would like to sit together." The only other available seat was next to a woman with both arms in casts, a black-and-blue face, and a gloomy aura. No way am I going to sit there, was my immediate thought. But then a deeper, quieter voice spoke, “Opportunity.”
I took my new seat and discovered that Kathy had been in an auto collision, and she was on her way for therapy.
When the snack of nuts and juice arrived, it did not take me long to realize that Kathy would not be able to feed herself. I considered offering to feed her but resisted, as it seemed too intimate a service to offer to a stranger. But then I decided that Kathy’s need was more important than my discomfort. I offered to help her eat, and although she too was uncomfortable about accepting, she did.
The experience was exhilarating, and she and I grew close in a short period of time. By the end of the five-hour trip, my heart was fully alive, and the time was infinitely better spent than if I had just sat by myself.
I was very glad I had reached beyond my comfort zone to sit next to Kathy and feed her. Love always flows beyond human borders and dissolves the fears that keep us separate.
When we stretch to serve another, we grow to live in a larger, more rewarding world.
Moving beyond the small self helps us connect with the hearts of others. When we give love to another we feed our own souls.
(excerpt taken from Alan Cohen's "A Deep Breath of Life" book of meditation)
I took my new seat and discovered that Kathy had been in an auto collision, and she was on her way for therapy.
When the snack of nuts and juice arrived, it did not take me long to realize that Kathy would not be able to feed herself. I considered offering to feed her but resisted, as it seemed too intimate a service to offer to a stranger. But then I decided that Kathy’s need was more important than my discomfort. I offered to help her eat, and although she too was uncomfortable about accepting, she did.
The experience was exhilarating, and she and I grew close in a short period of time. By the end of the five-hour trip, my heart was fully alive, and the time was infinitely better spent than if I had just sat by myself.
I was very glad I had reached beyond my comfort zone to sit next to Kathy and feed her. Love always flows beyond human borders and dissolves the fears that keep us separate.
When we stretch to serve another, we grow to live in a larger, more rewarding world.
Moving beyond the small self helps us connect with the hearts of others. When we give love to another we feed our own souls.
(excerpt taken from Alan Cohen's "A Deep Breath of Life" book of meditation)
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