We have a sacred duty to be hopeful
To inspire joy in those around us
To overcome cynicism both in ourselves and the place in which we find ourselves
And that is difficult
It is much harder to be happy and hopeful then it is to be cynical and dour
Life can wear us down, people are so frustratingly grim and self serving
Petulant
Petty
Egocentric
Whining
Catastrophically stupid
And yet
My nephew dances and whistles and hoots with the high enthusiasm of all that is great in the life of a nine year old
And he cheers my heart endlessly as he leaps and capers yelling “come on Aunty Kate”
So I run with purpose, legs and arms pumping, I kick the soccer ball as if I’m playing in a grand final and finally we collapse laughing in the sand
I stare into a gap in the clouds where the sky is blue
And resolve, as I always try to
to choose to look to the beauty and joy, to hope and good
Because without it as a species, as individuals we are lost
Circling miserably and wondering what is the point
We need the light to illuminate
To elevate
To enjoy and to progress
Besides, I’m tired of the alternative so as per yesterdays post – I’m choosing to turn the other cheek
And smile into the wind
I’m also whistling again
*Years ago, I was on a bike trip with my eldest brother. We both left our homes in different places, met up at a new town and then rode for a week or so exploring the outback and further up north of the country. It was fantastic. Time spent getting to know each other as adults and travelling companions.
My brother is a positive person. I am more prone to thoughtfulness, which can lead to melancholy. I had also been through a stressful time and arrived with my head still full of concerns and worries.
My brother’s spirit elevated my own, and very quickly, I felt a sense of lightness and joy I hadn’t felt for ages. by the end of the trip I was so damn grateful to him for his gentle, persistent happiness. It was like being a child again; over the week, much of the weight of being an adult businessperson disappeared. I often think of that time together and remember the difference that one human can make with another, simply by being happy in themselves.
This is what we have the opportunity to do to everyone around us. And I think it such a worthwhile task to strive for.
In Bondi recently on a holiday with extended family, my path crossed with two very different types of people.
The first was a mentally ill, scrawny, chain smoking angry lady who would find herself a seat somewhere along the esplanade, then harangue passer-bys with her angry monotonous speeches while staring into space. Her insanity was palpable, as was her sheer rage – it seemed to extend out from her body and into the air as far as her voice would carry, which turns out, was a long way.
The other was a girl of probably twelve. She had the voice of a highly trained professional singer of thirty. The sound and sweetness that rolled out into the atmosphere when she sang her beautiful solo music while standing behind a simple cardboard sign was magnetic. It moved me to tears. She was fund raising by busking to go to America and by the amount of money that grateful spellbound passers-by’s were adding to her bucket, and rightfully so, it won’t be long before she is there.
The two females couldn’t be more different. One repelled and disturbed, the attracted and uplifted.
You could argue that the angry woman was not mentally able to make the choice in how she impacted others, but it is certainly a choice that most of us can make each moment.
Besides..
As you sow, so you reap. What you put into any situation is what you take out, and those that bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot help but keep some for themselves.
And I had to add the second picture because it is so mysterious and interesting. My prompt (to the AI) was insanity vs kindness.
