A Course of Action, a Goodbye, and a Love Letter



image from the sample pictures on my computer

During the course of your life, you will witness the actions of various people, be they individuals, families, or entire societies. Sometimes you will see the same actions for years before you are actually moved by them or affected by them in some way. But at other times, all actions become significant and moving all at once. It is called being touched, and quite often, our paths become directed in this manner to ourselves, act. "For love, if it finds you worthy, will direct your course."

This post is about another recent act of kindness that changed the course of my entire day. The other day I was leaving the UPS store parking lot near the mall (puke). The rain was coming down in sheets, and it was 50 degrees F outside. For San Diego, this is cold :) An old homeless man was standing on the corner with a sign, drenched and shivering. A woman unrolled her window and handed him an umbrella. I rarely cry, but that day, I was so touched by this act of humanity and kindness that I cried all the way home. Why this particular act of charity? I don't know. Just the right time, I guess.   

I mentioned her a couple of posts ago, but I started following Stephanie's blog when I was in my third trimester of pregnancy with little h, daydreaming about running with him (I was on bedrest at the time). Her son is about 8 months older than mine, and she's a small business owner and runner and lives in Texas. I had never seen any other blogger do this before, but she does this thing every Friday which she calls "Filanthropy Friday". She just finds some random thing to donate to every Friday and blogs about the organization and the need. It is usually only a few dollars here and there, but man, people donate $5 to Starbucks a DAY and think nothing of it. I don't know how people afford that, but with my one less bottle of wine per week that I am now not drinking, I figured I could at least cough up $6 week. If I ever wanted to do something like this on a regular basis. 

On that note, I would like to mention that there are a lot of generous, giving, nurturing people in my life: Givers of time, of a listening ear, of food, of needed support. Many of you live here in San Diego. I have had the honor and the pleasure of being in your presence for almost an entire decade, and damn, I am going to miss you!

Thankfully, I am married to the best one, and I go where he goes. "Let it [love] rather be like a moving sea between the shores of your souls."

Love One Another

Love one another, but make not a bond of that love.

Let it rather be like a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

And stand together, and yet not too near together.

For even the pillars of the temple must stand apart;

and the oak tree and the cypress will not grow in each other's shadow.

Remember that love gives nothing but from itself.

Love possesses not, nor would it be possessed, for love is sufficient unto love.

And think not that you can direct the course of love.

For love, if it finds you worthy, will direct your course.

-Kahil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet (1883-1931)

Excerpt from his book of poetic essays, The Prophet