empathy

after a short hiatus; I'm back. and as you may be able to see from the cover photo of this post, I took back to pen and paper to start this one out. a little background: there are something like 9 psalms in the bible that take the art form of an acrostic poem (where each first letter in the line spells a word), specifically an abecedarius, or an acrostic in which the first letters follow the alphabet. I've always sort of admired and been interested in that type of poem writing, so I decided to give it a shot.

I think the world could use a little more ...

Empathy

A way in which to see new things

But using caution when assuming to understand

Caution required to not put our own bias and experience into the situation

Determined to walk in others' shoes, listening must be held paramont

Ears lent for the purpose of validating others, not serving our points or agendas

Forgoing the need to impose our ideas

Great care to be taken, not to react in instinct

Heeding the words

Imagining yourself there

Juxtaposed to your experience

Kindness trumping all else

Lamenting

Making no judgements

Now, how to maintain this skill

Or even, to train it up

Perhaps we think of how we would wish to be treated

Quietly pondering the kindness and love we wish to put in to the world

Realizing we don't have the right answers, or the sole interpretation of things

Someone else has different experiences, truth, and beliefs they hold fast

Tiresome and exhausting as this might be

Usually, we find growth in these practices

Vanity pushed aside in a culture of "me"

What could be wrong in helping someone feel loved

Xenial attitudes are not always our nature

You can break the cycle, be the change, make a difference; with,

Zealousness and fervor of a new, but worthwhile venture!