Being Kind

Day 3 - Living by the book.

The first message that came to me was "Wait for the Signal" and so I waited. And I waited. It occured to me that it's easier to wait for a signal when you know what the heck the signal actually is. But then I heard a whistle, and I knew that was it - the signal.

So, I opened the book again and the first thing I saw was a frightened almost feral looking child. He had that "deer caught in headlights" look which I can totally relate to. I was unable to establish any kind of communication with him at all. We just sat there and stared at each other for a while.

Then I looked over at the facing page and found my teacher for the day. She was clearly a mother. Her face was strong and kind. Her eyes were warm and generous. She said:

Inside you is a frightened child.
So be kind.

It occured to me that this must be true of every one. It sounds really kind of mushy and sentimental now, after the fact, but it felt so good in that moment - like something in me loosened up and relaxed - and I gave that frightened child within me a smile and a hug. It was good!

And since then, I've noticed that whenever I'm feeling angry at someone or impatient, whenever I'm all tensed up and having anxiety, if I just remember the two of them, I'm back in that same good place all over again.