Taking A Moment.

In my daily round, kindness to others is a worthy objective. I don't have to allow my boundaries to be trampled when practising kindness. Some days, it's just taking the time to dash off a quick reply to an email. I know how I feel when I write to a friend, and receive no response; it's rather like shouting into the void. Why is it that ignoring someone in person isn't acceptable, but ignoring them by email is?

I can tell myself that I'm too tired, I'm too busy, I have too many other things to achieve today, but those are justifications. I had a back-and-forth email the other day, and realised by their reply to my short response that I'd caused hurt feelings - I wasn't warm enough.  I'm not suggesting that we are responsible for other people's feelings, I'm clear on that not being the case. What I'm referring to, is all the ways we excuse being sharp, or abrupt, or just not bothering, under the guise of "busy." Am I truly too busy to take a moment to share some kindness, and some human warmth? If that is the case, perhaps I need to adjust my priorities.

I pray to be a person who is loving and warm even when I'm feelish rushed or pressured, or just fatigued.  When I take a moment to connect with someone, I am always grateful that I did - the smile on their face, or the tone of their reply, proves to me once again that giving kindness away restores my own energy and cheerfulness - it's a never-ending supply, fed by my Higher Power.

That's the selfish reason for doing it. The unselfish, is all those who have shared their experience strength and hope with me, over the time I've been in Al-Anon, believing that as they gave to me, I'd give to others.

One older lady, who'd been in program forever,  always concluded a phone call with, "Now, dear, nice talking to you, and remember to pay it forward!"