Hi Reader, Thank you for spending a few minutes reading this post. I hope it brings to you exactly what you need in the moment.

Have you ever wondered if perhaps many of the so-called traumas we experience are merely an interpretation? What if society never once felt sorry for the person who scraped their knee or had the sniffles or was spoken to in a voice a bit louder than normal? What if the media and companies advertising to us constantly did not program to us that the only way that scrape is going to get better is to place a bandage on it and treat it with ointment and a pain reliever? What if organizations did not tell us the only way to function as a normal human being is to take cold medications and allergy medications and go see doctors whenever we have the sniffles? What if society did not tell us we are being abused every time someone raises their voice at us?

What if the following scenario played out: a young person takes a tumble on the pavement and the result is a couple of small wounds on their ankle and shoulder. She picks herself up and notices that yes, all body parts are moving but a couple of places are a bit messier than when she first started out. She goes home and is greeted by her loving caregiver who asks if young person needs help. “Yes” she responds, trusting that the caregiver is loving and kind as in the past. So the small wounds are washed and cleaned and given loving care. Perhaps a cloth is placed gently on the spots and the young person and the caregiver sit for a while and chat about what just happened. There is no shame. There is no anxiety. There is only loving kindness. There is no, “oh! we must rush you to the drug store to get a magical bandage and some magical ointment!” There is no, “Oh, I told you not to ride your bicycle so fast and that damn bike is too big for your anyway. You’re grounded for the rest of the week. You should have been home cleaning your room.”

There is no shame. Because, if the caregiver had been treated kindly by others, then the only behavior available is loving kindness. For that is what was given to them with positive results over and over and over again.

There is no anxiety because there are no fearful individuals working in organizations that reap as much money as they can for fear of not being good enough or having enough. Those individuals as well were cared for and experienced loving kindness and know there is enough and that we are all capable of healing ourselves with a bit of help.

The young person trusts she is ok. That there is no shame or worry. There is only a small lesson learned. The small wounds heal and the next bike ride is taken with care. For the next time she rides, there are no memories of shame and anxiety, there is only a memory of gentle kindness to take care and be present. Perhaps she fell because she was going too fast. The next time, she knows not to go quite so fast. Not because she was shamed into slowing down but that she knows she is worthy of self care.

What would it be like if we could erase all the fear and shame and replace it with trust and gentle kindness?

When the storms come, and they will, we can then know we are capable of minimizing the storms. We know that it’s simply the way of life. That there must be a renewal of sorts. The home hailed upon and damaged by wind can be repaired and renewed. The crops and trees will be replaced by new growth in time.

In the words of my dad, “May you always have enough.”

And so it is.

Thanks for reading.