Tag Archives: compassion

Be Good

Upon saying goodbye after visits, grandma J nearly always reminded her grandchildren to be good. It was an habitual, reflexive statement she’d make–“Good bye and be good”. In this world of narcissitic behavior, cruelty, and violence, it almost seems pointless … Continue reading

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Beautiful

I met Gary’s wife Gertrude at the New Year’s Eve cocktail party. Gary is a passing acquaintance who sometimes grouses about his family life, but is otherwise a regular kind of guy. I had been led to expect his spouse’s … Continue reading

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Loving Kindness

“If we share a slice of bread and margarine–that’s kindness. If we share a slice of bread and homemade jam–that’s loving kindness.” Great aunt Emma sometimes said this whenever she served snacks to children. Her little saying meant a lot … Continue reading

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Cruelty Burnout

Simply skimming the news headlines reveals inhumane acts of cruelty inflicted by humans upon each other. These acts are not of recent invention; only the easy, speedy communication about them is a contemporary phenomenon. One’s eventual conclusion might be to … Continue reading

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Boundless

We humans are prone to fooling ourselves and others regarding possession of beauty, goodness, and truth. We cannot help it because that is the nature of subjectivity. We place high value on these attributes because we want to claim them … Continue reading

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The Lesson Triggered By The Tray

As the process of decluttering, downsizing and general cleaning continued this week, I reflected upon a truism: “Possessions are generally diminished by possession.” I had just finished washing and carefully drying a vintage Mikasa food tray. The ornate plate is … Continue reading

Posted in Contemplation, Friendship, Hometown, Meanderings, philosophy, Vintage Collectables | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Being Kind

Today is the last day of “Be Kind To Humankind Week”. It would be nice to at least contemplate the concept of kindness as a way to salute the unofficial commemoration. The celebration was organized to be a global event … Continue reading

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