Compassion..?
I had told my oldest daughter today i was going to blog about Compassion but once i went to dictionary.com and read the definition i changed my mind.
It seemed to be more about the down side of what i was thinking, questioning one of my moments in this a normal day in the life of Michelle-Dawne.
I have worked in the same place for 6 years now and in that time have managed to meet some spectacular human beings.
This afternoon like any other day in the world that spins around us i saw the same familiar faces, the security guards, the smokers outside, the adorable Brian in his wheel chair delivering coffee for Starbucks and of course Norma.
Norma is a mall maintenance gal probably in her 50's, Hispanic, portly and always grinning when she finally connects the "hello Norma" to me inside the invisible line i am not suppose to cross in front of the Victoria's secret store.
Most times i see Norma she is passing the store pushing her cart checking the garbage cans and looking for something to dust, we always exchange a friendly head nod and hello how are you...
but today i was out of the store and free to get up close, look her in the face, put my hand on her shoulder and say " how are you Norma?"
Norma with her sweet broken English and accent replied "good Mitchell! How are you? Why are you so nice to me?"
I was immediately stumped.. (hard to stump me)..
Then it was my immediate reaction to grab her hand, squeeze it and say " Norma, you are special.. if i didn't see you a few times a week i would miss your bright face and hello's." I could see the effect of my words in her face immediately..
It had never occurred to me that this woman would question my kindness and friendship in what ever form it was in. It was a moment for two woman in very different places in their lives to connect in a way that brought us both to a quiet moment of reflection not on compassion but on Humanity.
I have been told on many occasions I'm too friendly.. that people can take looking them in the eye, asking questions and being engaging with a person that is only and acquaintance the wrong way..
well ..
I say use caution but never let a moment to show your humanity to another person pass.. if i had done that today and many other days they would not have been so worth sharing, and i would have missed out on amazing people.
You never know the impact you have on someone with just a smile or friendly nod so next time your walking past the woman in the mall dusting or the man moping take a second to show them you see them. It matters.
the bottom line is part of being Human is how we show our Humanity to others.
It seemed to be more about the down side of what i was thinking, questioning one of my moments in this a normal day in the life of Michelle-Dawne.
I have worked in the same place for 6 years now and in that time have managed to meet some spectacular human beings.
This afternoon like any other day in the world that spins around us i saw the same familiar faces, the security guards, the smokers outside, the adorable Brian in his wheel chair delivering coffee for Starbucks and of course Norma.
Norma is a mall maintenance gal probably in her 50's, Hispanic, portly and always grinning when she finally connects the "hello Norma" to me inside the invisible line i am not suppose to cross in front of the Victoria's secret store.
Most times i see Norma she is passing the store pushing her cart checking the garbage cans and looking for something to dust, we always exchange a friendly head nod and hello how are you...
but today i was out of the store and free to get up close, look her in the face, put my hand on her shoulder and say " how are you Norma?"
Norma with her sweet broken English and accent replied "good Mitchell! How are you? Why are you so nice to me?"
I was immediately stumped.. (hard to stump me)..
Then it was my immediate reaction to grab her hand, squeeze it and say " Norma, you are special.. if i didn't see you a few times a week i would miss your bright face and hello's." I could see the effect of my words in her face immediately..
It had never occurred to me that this woman would question my kindness and friendship in what ever form it was in. It was a moment for two woman in very different places in their lives to connect in a way that brought us both to a quiet moment of reflection not on compassion but on Humanity.
I have been told on many occasions I'm too friendly.. that people can take looking them in the eye, asking questions and being engaging with a person that is only and acquaintance the wrong way..
well ..
I say use caution but never let a moment to show your humanity to another person pass.. if i had done that today and many other days they would not have been so worth sharing, and i would have missed out on amazing people.
You never know the impact you have on someone with just a smile or friendly nod so next time your walking past the woman in the mall dusting or the man moping take a second to show them you see them. It matters.
the bottom line is part of being Human is how we show our Humanity to others.
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