What started as a downer of a day turned into one of fulfilment and meaning.
The person cutting my hair always surprises me with the depth of her compassion and her understanding of the world. Everything about her is beautiful and regardless of where I am that day, I feel uplifted when I go to see her. Her indigenous roots shine in her compassion and caring of others.
After leaving the tiny beauty shop, I ran into a young woman who had left our neighbourhood rather unexpectedly. I learned that she had escaped a situation that was dangerous for her. As her story unfolded, it was clear that her choices were wise and that she was taking steps that would lead to her eventual healing.
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As we stood up to leave from our conversation, a musician I know sat down at the next table. In that exchange we discovered that both of these individuals were from another country and had lived in the same city and gone to the same school. And all three of us shared the same love of Motown music. What a delightful turn for the day.
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The world is small.
After the young woman took her leave, I took a minute to sit and visit with the musician and we talked about navigating those days when we feel like we are ‘under a ton of bricks.’ As the words came out of my mouth, a piece of the brick wall in that old eatery fell down and hit me on the head.
We were silenced. What was the meaning of this?
Well, it hurt, it was temporary and it was a lesson not to sit in one place and invite the negative. Sometimes we have to be nudged to move on. A hit on the head reminded me that it was time to transcend from lamenting to forgetting — from the dark into the light.
As I was driving home on a major thoroughfare after this transformational visit, I witnessed an elderly man fall out of his wheelchair head-first into the street. He was on the opposite side but I hit the brakes and bounded over. Two teenagers had also stopped and were getting him upright.
After determining that he did not need immediate medical care, they left and a courier van pulled over. A young man then pushed him up the steep hill to a level spot. Once we got to the top, I took the chair and wheeled him to his residence, where I could inform the staff of the fall to ensure he was observed. He was a lovely person who was so grateful. I stayed a while.
Humans helping humans.
I reflected on the possibilities of that day.
When it began, I was exhausted and could have continued looking inward, churning my worries until self pity clouded my vision. Instead, I made a choice to be open to the positive energy of the hairdresser, which pushed out the negative feelings.
This put me in the right frame of mind to have a helpful conversation with the woman who had left her farm and to also facilitate a conversation that included the musician who also experienced struggles when feeling ‘under a ton of bricks.’
I thought of the days on the farm when the cattle were out, the children were sick or the car was dead, when the rain wouldn’t come (or the snow wouldn’t stop), when markets crashed or relationships failed.
We have all felt emotionally stuck at times — but staying in that space does not open the door to the possible.
Sometimes, despite our weariness, we need to invite in the positive energy of others. This may mean stepping outside our fence lines and surrounding ourselves with those who can bring light, love and joy to us that day, even if only for a few hours. It may mean attention to the cues (like falling bricks) and those conversations in life that move us forward. Or it may be the simple act of giving of ourselves.
I recalled the words of a stranded elderly woman I helped a few years ago in southern Alberta. She simply patted my hand and said, “the world is round, my dear, the world is round.”
What we bring into our world is often what we receive, and I was reminded on this day to be open to embracing the positive and of the importance of giving back.
Despite the twists and turns on life’s road, I feel extremely blessed and often overwhelmed with the kindness shown to me.
Those generous moments that lifted me up when feeling weighted. The surprises when arriving home and finding anything from flowers to firewood at the door. The helping hands in a time of crisis. The amazing visits with folks from all cultures and walks of life, letters from readers and honest words from a grandchild, the encouragement from friends and the wisdom shared by Mom.
In living life with gratitude, it opens the world to the possible and to new experiences — for life’s stories and for its lessons.
