Be Kind

The Sunshine Observer: SO… V45

The picture today is titled, “Burial of a Bird”. I grew up with this picture hanging in my childhood home. Love comes in many sizes.

You know how your gut tells you don’t do it, and you do it anyway and then regret it… Listen to your gut.

Yesterday I encountered drama. It was recommended I share my Bert story with a NW birding group. My gut said don’t do it, you’re going to face controversy. My gut was right.

A few people liked the stories, a few did not. I was told it was illegal to foster a wild bird without a license. I said I did not know this. The comments got ugly and so I removed the post.

I thought for a while about how easy it is on social media to misconstrue things or be flippant especially if you don’t know a person. I decided to make a new post asking folks to be kind when responding to posts, to educate those of us not in the know… Well that got ugly too.

A naysayer replied, “You’re new to this group and your very first post is to scold people?” Ugh, not the result I was going for. I responded it was my second post, hence the request. They replied “she took down her post because I caught her in a lie…”

Then a bunch of people started sticking up for me. The owner of the group told the person to back off. To which they replied. “You guys are sticking up for the wrong person. She’s the one with the cutsy blog who let the hummingbird die because she didn’t take it to Sarvey.” This was the second time they posted I had let the bird die. Ugh, that really hurts. I loved that bird. And yes, there is truth in their statement, I am guilty for not taking Bert to a rehab center. I’m hoping this person didn’t realize I had an emotional connection to Bert.

The day before this drama, I had been talking to a friend who was upset about negative comments they had received on Facebook. I counseled, if it doesn’t come from Love, why listen to it? why give it power?  That it usually is a reflection of the other persons unhappiness. I believe in this statement, I am working on taking my own advice, almost there.

I’m constantly amazed at how things show up in our lives. I can be mean, and I always regret it. I do it much less than I use to. It’s usually the result of some insecurity, often a fear of inadequacy.

I say all this because we never know what is really going on with people. Its best to Be Kind, even if they are an asshole. Meeting people with the same negative energy they put out only perpetuates unhappiness. If we are to thrive as a species, we must act from Love.

BodyMindSpirit

Our daily 5-minute meditation. The waxing Gibbous Moon moves toward full.

Meditation

Truth requires a conviction of love and will. Look the heaviness in the face, see it for what it is, then give it space, learn from it. Enemies become friends. Stand firm in love.

Release ideas of what things are supposed to be and accept what is. It is a death, a crumbling of old ways, a release. It’s a path to rebirth or rebirth itself. Release the cultural baggage and conditioned mental constructs.

Even if it’s just for 5 minutes, release will allow for expansion- in your soul you know your truth. Sit with it, visit in comfort, ease and grace.

Be Kind