Lessons in a Divided World: Empathy

The other day while shopping I noticed a boy of around eight years old who had braces on his legs and who used a walker to get around. The boy was smiling as he spoke with his mother and seemed very happy. My immediate thought was one of empathy for him, followed by a feeling of gratitude for the wonderful life I have. This beautiful boy has what most would deem a terrible affliction and yet he still smiles. What he will teach in his lifetime is what most of us dream of. Each and everyone who glances his way will feel immediate empathy, and realize a fantastic lesson in love, humility and gratitude. His positive ripples will affect thousands throughout his life. God bless him!

While greatly effective, his lesson is easy to see and feel. Many more lessons exist on a daily basis in our world; we just need to take off the blinders to see them. If you turn on the news you will see lessons in empathy in every story, but you have to look deep as most stories are negative, told with a sensationalist slant, and certainly do not make us feel good.

One current example is in the sporting world: standing or kneeling during the National Anthem. Which is right and which is wrong? We hear each side stating that the other is wrong, condemning and pointing fingers. There is nothing positive, no solutions, just dense negativity. If we look at the bigger picture we would see this as a huge lesson in empathy. What if I had a close relative in the armed forces who fought in a war, watched his friends get injured or killed and came home suffering with mental issues due to PTSD? On

the flip side, what if I had a dear friend or family member who was ridiculed, beaten or killed by an officer of the law for having different skin pigmentation? It is time we learn to walk in the shoes of others; all others. You see we all have different perceptions of life based on our past experiences, our upbringing, our lifestyle, our education and where we were born geographically. It is time we respect each other, look at every one as a brother or sister, and realize that every man, woman and child has something to teach us.

It is time to act bigger, think bigger and be bigger!