Wise Words

A few years ago, probably somewhere in the early years of motherhood, I had a stark realization that I'm not the center of the universe. Imagine that. After the decade of my twenties, which was all about exploration and self-indulgence, I spent my thirties immersed in being a parent. I learned how to not take myself so seriously. I learned to not take every little slight from the chilly world out there, or every dirty diaper, or every little mess that required cleaning up as a personal affront. And I must thank my two sons for teaching me these two things, because it is through the mostly selfless caring for and nurturing of them that I learned that there is something bigger in life than me. I learned kindness and tolerance and caring as a daily practice. And practice it is, for it requires some daily diligence to incorporate kindness in my behavior. I slip out of it at times, due to aggravations or hormones and whether I'm getting what I want at the moment. Often because I'm focusing on tiny annoying things instead of the larger picture that includes more than me. The difference now is that I see myself more clearly and I want to be a decent human being, not just thought of as a decent human being. Then I ran across these very wise words this morning and thought that you would like them, too.

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.

-Sherwin Nuland