A Compassionate Presence
When I was in my mid-twenties I had a “aha moment” during a
phone conversation. What began as a
rambling dialogue with pressured, staccato speech evened out. The person with whom I was speaking calmed
down. It wasn’t that I had said anything
in particular. Just by listening I
provided a quiet space for the angst behind her words to calm.
It was so simple. She
spoke, we rested in moments of silence, and I responded. Reflecting upon this conversation, I am not
sure I gave her much more than connection — but what a connection! The flare of my divine spark ignited and lit
up her darkness. How could she, or I, be
alone in a place filled with the sparkleys of connected compassion? Maybe I couldn’t change her circumstances,
but I could share with her in a moment that threatened to overwhelm her. I could help create a space of unconditional
love, hope, and compassion.
Fast forward two decades plus. I often joke that I have this invisible tattoo
on my forehead. It says “TMI is never enough.”
It doesn’t matter where I am — sitting in a coffee shop, standing in
line at the grocery, attending an informal gathering — people want to share. They want to be heard. Tattoo aside; my ears open, my heart expands,
and I respond compassion.
A not-so-little thing is this listening to another. It is, perhaps, the greatest act of
compassion you may share in any moment.
We may never know the impact that a listening ear, an expanded heart, a
compassionate response has on another, but we can rest in the knowledge that it
has a profound impact on our self.
Just for today, in this moment, be aware of opportunities to
open your self to another. Listen with
the ears of your heart. Be mindful of
how this shifts your response to the world around you and how the responses of
the world shift toward you.
Opening, Embracing, and Responding,
Vanessa
