Getting Outside of Myself

One of the things that I know that I need to do to feel better about life is to get a bigger picture. I have lived a pretty darn sweet life. I have always had what I needed and more. I make enough money to live in just the house I always dreamed of. I have children that love me and still have 2 generations beyond my own to continue modeling the wisdom of the universe. My life is sweet. At different times, I have tried volunteering because I have known that I needed to get a bit out of my comfort zone to appreciate all that I have been given. The efforts have been short term and I eventually leave them along the roadside. This weekend I was reminded of that need. I had dinner with Grandpa Bunt and loved every second of being by his side. He is such a wonderful man and I know that he is lonely living on his own for the first time in his 78 years. We enjoyed dinner together, lots of laughs and good conversation. We both left better than we came. Today I went to visit a friend in the hospital who is dealing with all sorts of complications from some crazy rare strand of cancer. She has had a colostomy and lots of lung issues. It reminded me of course of how precious life is but also of how the presence of another being can bring such joy. I was so happy to have had the time this weekend to share with these two fabulous human beings and know that my gift of time is more than I could ever put into words in a greeting card or wrap up in a box. This is a tiny hole in my life, ways to give back in some small way all that I have been given. I will ponder this for a bit. I know that everything I experience is meant as a life lesson and Ray and Carol were placed in the center of my road this weekend for the most important of reasons - to remind me that there is more than work and home and family and pets. There are people out there who need something as simple as just to see me show up.