…for the many birthday wishes across various platforms! I feel so fortunate to have so many friends all over the world, whether IRL or online.
It’s wonderful to be on the receiving end of good will, a potent reminder of the power of words. The kind words of a birthday greeting from a fan in Belgium brings joy. The caustic, angry words I’ve seen online lately bring conflict, pain. They’re even occasionally directed at me, and when that happens it’s hard to move past them.
The word we say every day, to our families, friends, neighbors – ourselves – they hold weight, they are catalysts for emotions, they can connect and divide us. Let’s use our words wisely, bringing them from a place of both compassion and curiosity.
Coronavirus Diary: Mental Health in a strange new world 
Sarah, it is rewarding to learn our relevance and impact on people of goodwill. Although different and miles apart, we share a similar platform on our ideology. Your words are a gift to me, even though we are only virtual friends and have never met IRL. Listed below is one of my posts, I hope you enjoy it.
Living a Life Well Spent
An elderly woman was riding a bus home one day and at the next stop, a younger woman boarded and sat next to her, rudely bumping her with her handbag and other shopping items. Without an apology, she asked the older woman why she didn’t complain when she accidentally bumped her and remained silent while looking out of the window.
The elderly woman replied with a smile: “There is no need to be rude or discuss something so insignificant as bumping me with your bags because our journey is short in life and on our trip together on this bus.”
Each one of us is defined by our words and behavior, some of this behavior is influenced by life’s challenges, jealousy, bigotry, intolerance, and financial struggles. Kindness and compassion, no matter how small never goes unnoticed and it truly makes a positive difference in the lives of others facing emotional and physical pain. Even a simple smile to a stranger may open a conversation and a friendship.
A few years ago, while sitting in the waiting room of a local hospital, I noticed that everyone was quiet in boredom while leafing through pages of magazines to pass the long wait. A woman was sitting with her husband and infant next to me as I asked a few questions about her bundle of joy. The next thing I knew, she was telling me stories about her life and the joy of being a new mother.
During the day, the patients had to move to other waiting rooms, and in each room, I met a new person with a story waiting to be told. At the end of the day, I remembered all of their names, their stories, as I bid them farewell. I knew I would never see any of them again, but the experience was rewarding as I came home with a smile and told my wife my story.
The story of the elderly woman on the bus underscores a quote that resonates with me: “I learned that every mortal will taste death, but only some will taste life.” ~Rumi
My thought for today…
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Un remanso de paz; eso es este blog.
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Bon matin Maestra,
I agree with you, Sarah. Words that we use have an impact on people. We must try to choose them and use them carefully. It is especially true for me when I write in English. I know it is not my mother tongue. I always re read 3, 4, 5 times before I press on enter. If I goofed when I wrote to you then I beg your pardon.
I always try to remember this quote: “Sometimes a still mouth is a wise head”.
Thank you, dear La Maestra, for your authenticity and your generosity with all of us.
Nota bene: someone in the Canadian senate (a patient of mine) told me that Kamala Harris might choose Montréal for her first trip to Canada. She would go to Westmount High. She studied there at the end of the 70’s and the beginning of the 80’s. This high school is known for having multi cultural students (Bangladesh, Jamaica, USA, France,…). If you would be in town at that time for a gig it could be an interesting place to visit. You can check where it is on Google map. It is near the Mount Royal.
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