A Single Day
A single day...
One Sunday morning, years ago, the preacher (AKA my dad) shared a joke about a woman who wanted a refund for the bottle of Corn Syrup she purchased. She complained that she drank the whole bottle and her corns were still killing her. After everyone's laughter died down, we could hear Aunt Ruth's muffled laughter. She got the joke--a bit late.
My grandmother and Aunt Ruth brought a lot of laughter to our world. And compassion, once they got beyond the laughter (my family understands what this means).
What could be better than compassion? Or sharing a good laugh?
There was a time when intelligence, rather than laughter, was higher on my list of desirable attributes. I admired intellectuals. A lot. Don't get me wrong; a high IQ can be very valuable. Intelligence is a cutting edge for researchers, inventors, philosophers, and debaters. We benefit from intelligent politicians--even more from politicians who are honest and have integrity. I diverge. My point is, intelligence is not everything.
Do you compare yourself to others you believe to be "better" than you, whatever that might mean? Comparison is best for shopping the price of beans at the grocery store.
Look at us: civil discourse is fading; politics and religion divide friends and family; bullying is rampant; harsh words regularly fly across the internet faster than the speed of light. It's entirely too easy to diss someone when you are not looking them in the eye.
Something's missing.
I wonder, what would a single day look like if we were ruled by compassion, laughter, and love?
~ LowTide explorer, Carolyn Fjeran
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