Thursday, January 30, 2014

One Good Thing

Consider this story:
A woman I saw at a meeting last night has been absent for a while because she is her dying husband's sole caregiver. I overheard someone ask her, "How's your husband doing?" She answered with, "Well he seems to have pain that moves from place to place and today he has been vomiting." I said, "It must be difficult for you." She replied, "Yes, but at the end of each day we find one good thing that happened and we focus on it. Today it will be that a special person came to stay with him so I can attend this meeting."
One good thing. How often do we focus on one good thing? We are often so caught up in what is wrong that we forget about what is right.

I'm just as guilty as anyone. I've been trying to find my way through the swirl of change taking place in a community I care about. I talk to members of the community and get caught up in my own and other's negative take on things. I focus on what's wrong instead of what's right.

This morning I walked with the idea of one good thing in relation to members a music and art group I have been leading that is experiencing difficulties. What bubbled up is that I love all of them not for their amazing creative gifts, I love them for the little things that make them human - boyish enthusiasm about a beautiful piece of music; light in an eye ignited by a creative idea; quiet presence as a reminder to be open to God's presence; the warm glow of a radiant smile; an ability to make a loving connection with people; a disarming sense of humor.

Thoughts about "one good thing" mixed this morning with messages I've been hearing for the last ten days: let go of a desire to fix everything; step back and take care of self, be present in life, make space for the next right thing. Today I'll add - embrace one good thing every day.

2 comments: