Into the Heart
I heard a quote once that went something along the lines of, “Be kind to everyone you meet, for they are fighting a hard battle.” I’m not sure of the author, but I think they were on to something. On the surface we all seem, for the most part, okay. Some of us may seem happier than others and vice versa. But it really doesn’t matter because you can be happy and still not be okay. Happiness is just dependent upon happenings. When the sun is shining and I can go hiking on a beautiful mountain, I’m happy. On a rainy day when I’m stuck inside, I might not be so happy. Either way, the struggles within me continue on. I think somewhere in the middle of all these tensions lies the balance of contentment and discontent, but that’s a story for another time.
It’s hard to imagine the complexity of life outside of my own. When I’m walking down the street I see a young, blonde business woman and that’s who she instantly is to me. Nothing more, nothing less. Or I may see a dusty homeless man on the street corner, begging for simple cash. When I see other people, I can’t help but develop a quick idea of who they are. But it normally doesn’t go any further than that. I don’t often think of their families, jobs, dreams, past, future, pain, etc. Sometimes I’m so concerned with my own problems that I forget others have them as well.
It’s hard to get past the stereotypes. We’re raised to believe people act and think a certain way that is reflected on the outside. I believe that the more stereotypical views you shed, the more humble you become. You begin to see others as people like you. Struggling human beings in a broken world. None of us have this all figured out. We’re all grasping at straws hoping we’re not stuck with the short end. The least we can do is be kind to one another. We owe it to ourselves to look past the outer appearances and into the heart.
