“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.”

— HENRY JAMES

Whenever I read The Twelve Gifts of Birth to groups of young children, upon completing the story, I ask, “What gift seems most important to you? Do you have a favorite one?”

While every gift gets at least one vote, compassion is often the gift that most children choose. But they call it by another name. Can you guess what they say? 

Many of the young children are not yet familiar with the word “compassion.” However, their hearts understand its meaning and importance. That must be why, again and again, time after time, I’ve heard children say, “The kindness one." 

The kindness one. May that be the gift we use most throughout this day and through the New Year.

With love,
Charlene      

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”

— DALAI LAMA

Funny, like a previous blog quote about a mosquito pleased that everyone was clapping for him when he took his first flight out into the world. And you know this scenario is true, too, if you’ve ever tried sleeping with a mosquito in your room. But do you buy into the take-away the Dalai Lama intended for us? 

If you and I think in terms of numbers, we as individuals are very small parts of the 7 billion people on the planet. But that doesn’t mean we don’t play a significant part.  

“I am only one, but I am one,” said 19th-century author and Unitarian minister, Edward Everett Hale. “I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do."            

 Have you heard the story about the child walking along a shoreline that is covered with beached starfish? If you’re not familiar with it, here’s how it goes: 

A young girl bends down, picks up a starfish and flings it out to sea. She tosses another, another and another. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of starfish lying helpless on the sand, above the tide line. A man walking along that same beach tells the young girl, “You’ll never be able to save them all, so why make the effort? What difference does it make?

Tossing yet another starfish out to sea, she answers, "It makes a difference for that one." 

In 2021, let's not think we are too small, too old, too young, or too insignificant in any way - or not enough in any way. Let’s just make a difference.

With courage,
Charlene

“A young mosquito went out flying
for the first time.
The father asked:
’How did you feel?’
The mosquito replied:
’It was GREAT!
Everyone was clapping for me.’”

— UNKNOWN

Ha ha.

The story goes on with the father warning the little guy to be careful because not everyone who appears to be celebrating with us is a well-wisher. True for the mosquito and for us. But let's enjoy the pure innocence and optimism of the young mosquito and reclaim a sense of that for ourselves. 

The poet Rumi said, "Live life as if everything is rigged in your favor."

Can you imagine living life with that attitude?  What if we put aside the times we felt slapped down in flight and make room for the possibility that something is always on our side? 

Let's enter the new year with a fresh perspective: trusting that Life Itself is clapping for us!

(from Opening The Twelve Gifts: A Touchstone Sampler)

With love, hope, joy and best wishes for 2021,
Charlene

"There's too much darkness in the world," said songwriter-singer Alicia Keys in an interview. Millions of us - billions, I imagine - agree. Multitudes of us want to drive the darkness out.

"Only light can do that," said Martin Luther King, Jr. Deep inside we know this. But sometimes we forget and react with anger, fear, disgust, righteousness, etc., just more darkness.

But truly, like Alicia Keys went on to say about her intention, we want to bring light into the world. "A certain light," she said. We all have our own certain ways to bring our certain light into the world.

Song lyrics come to mind. Not from Alicia Keys songs. Songs I first heard in early childhood. You may have too.

"So let the sun shine in, face it with a grin. Open up your heart and let the sun shine in."

"This little light of mine. I'm going to let it shine."

Light. Let it shine in. Let it shine out.

With love,
Charlene

THE ELEVENTH GIFT IS LOVE. It will grow each time you give it away. - from The Twelve Gifts of Birth.