MenoSundays; Life Lived Lovingly

Every second counts. Every meeting and interaction counts. They become part of who we are and how we identify with our past, gauge our present and anticipate our future. All too often in daily life, we miss the small things which still are contributing to the fabric of life; or we take them for granted.

Fresh running water in our homes. Ready power to heat that water. It seems obvious to state this, yet they are so much a part of the fabric that we forget to remember that they are a privilege and that so much of the world still does not have these things. Then there are those who have recently had these things wrenched from their lives and it has left them - quite literally - swimming. Mother Nature has made it clear this year in almost every part of the world that we must not take her for granted.

Difficult times can bring out the best and the worst in folks. Whether that be at community level, such as the storm-affected, or at a personal level, with difficult relatives or neighbours or some such. It sometimes behooves us to check in that it is not we, ourselves, who are the hurdle to moving along!

We can be walking along a street and see someone struggling to balance a load. The difference in our history will be whether we offer assistance and make a connection with that person, or walk round them, leaving them in their moment of mayhem.

I recently had a neighbour knock on my door who is looking to cause some trouble. Not with me personally, but I am seen as the focus. She is part of the history which is building which could cause one to crumble. However, there was the surprise of several other neighbours coming to knock on my door in order to show solidarity and support. They lifted my heart and spirit that, as a group, we can overcome the potential hurdle being presented to us. They too are part of the history building for me. This makes me grateful to the troublemaker, for it has resulted in finding new friendships.

The trouble will be traversed and the group walking in the kinship of honesty and trust will prevail. Then it will become history and, as has been noted before, life goes on...