My last blog post was not easy. Soon after I posted it, I was unfriended on facebook by someone I have called a friend for several years. No notice, no nothing. I assume the person took offense at what I said. That was not what I wanted. And here is where life gets difficult. I have to let it go. It was their choice. It’s hard—very difficult for me. I usually will approach the person and apologize even if I feel I have done nothing wrong but I must learn to let go because I know they believe I am wrong and nothing I say will change that. 
I can choose to be quiet about what I believe or I can explain as best I can why I am on this journey, how far I have come, and what I have learned. You, the reader, can accept what I say or not accept it…that’s up to you—no disrespect intended. My journey…my eyes…my perspective. I believe I would be doing a great disservice to the world if I keep quiet.
Believe me, I have prayed about this often. I have meditated. I have questioned, read, and repeated. I didn’t get to this point simply by being dropped like a ‘google guy’ on a map. I worked hard to get here. I have paid a great price (too great to hide) and have asked God to help me tell the story because in truth, God put me on this journey—that’s what I believe.
My picture of God may not be the same as your picture and that’s what we need to let go of or rather embrace the differences rather than call attention to them. There are people who do not believe in God. That’s fine with me. I don’t look at them and say, “Hey, you are going to hell unless you repent and are baptized.” I used to think that way. I cannot put my faith on someone else and someone of my faith cannot tell me that I am wrong for not doing it. We have to let go if any faith is going to survive. I didn’t understand that at first but I do now.
My struggles, my pain…it’s all about the journey. There are people who have come into my life…and there are those who leave. It hurts—it hurts a lot. I never want that and I never want to say goodbye but if that is the way it must be for the other person to live/survive, then I must let go. Sounds awful doesn’t it?
Many of the people I talk to have lost a loved one(s)…the pain they carry…the pain that I hear in their words. Sometimes it is what they share and sometimes it is what is missing that tells the story. I feel that pain many times without knowing the details. I don’t know why. I’ve been this way all of my life. I joke that it is my overactive empathy gene but there is no such thing.
I believe women (and not only women) have a great capacity for love and understanding, compassion with passion so to say. I talk a lot about empathy…it’s a part of me that I can no more change than my height or eye color. An empath may sound like a mythological creature but I believe they are real and I believe each of us can use our empathy to reach out to others. I’m not talking witch mumbo jumbo or crazy stuff. I am speaking about what we call the heart…what we feel which is really in our brain.
I cannot tell you what will happen tomorrow. I can only tell you what I feel and what I feel from others. It’s a gift. Some may say it is a curse. It’s not special—no more than anyone else. Some will tell you that not everyone has this gift but I think we were all born with this gift. It’s up to us to use it, to help it grow, to understand it and to use it for good. It is our connection to each other. 🙂
There is a part two to the last post I made but please understand that I have no agenda except for loving my fellow man and woman and accepting them no matter who they are or what they have done or how they believe.
We are each on our own journey. I don’t believe we are supposed to be on the same path and I don’t believe our destination will be the same. You know how if you are around positive people and have positive energy then your life is so much better—you are happy and others are happy…that’s where we need to be. Tearing other people down with nasty remarks isn’t the way to be happy. There is no positive energy and no room for growth.
Have a great Thursday and Happy Gardening! 🙂
I don’t like the word tolerance but you would think that in this day and age that would be the minimum that we give to those that think different from ourselves, but much more than that we should be able to respect and appreciate those that are walking different paths than our own, knowing that they are just as dedicated and get just as much joy from their faith as we each do from our own. It is amazing that people want to put limits on the limitless spirit. But I guess it’s easier for people to just paint inside their own lines, with the rules they grew up with, never examining why those rules might be put in place in the first place. Religion is a means, but people take it as the end. You are right, sometimes you just have to let people go. I hope you feel better.
Thanks, Sreejit. 🙂 As usual, your words paint such a picture and I love the part about coloring in the lines…that to me is so true. Tolerance vs acceptance…yeah, that’s a big problem. I still say this has to do with love and respect. If we don’t respect one another, what does that say about us? Thanks again. Please take care! 🙂