"The You We Call Companion"
"The sun in every person-the you we call companion." Rumi
The quote that I am sharing comes from The Book of Awakenings and Mark Nepo shares it with us all in his book. The premise of ths is that we may feel like we are alone on our journey but in reality there are many people on the journey with us, their own journey. Sometimes their journey looks like ours but even when it doesn't look like ours, they are on their path. It could be one of pain and of learning or it could be one of spiritual awakening. Rarely is anyone on their path alone. We need only to look up and see that their are faces in sorrow or some form of sadness or pain. We are never really alone.
I went to my physical therapy today and in the next bed divided by curtains I could hear a man speaking to his therapist who was doing some of the same things mine was doing for my lymphedema. I was not alone in my road to physical healing. There he was right next to me and I could hear him chatting with his therapist. I realized that I am not the only one going through this swelling of my leg and foot and there were two wonderful people helping him and helping me to walk a better walk and reduce the swelling that is so uncomfortable. Rarely are we alone.
When I was getting radiation there was a changing room for everyone and the appointments were back to back at the same time each day. There were others there that I would see each time I was there. One woman wore pink cowboy boots and indicated to me that the reason she wore them was to symbolize her healing as pink is a symbol and a color of awareness for healing cancer. I loved to see her at every appointment where she would be either waiting with me or coming out of her treatment. Her smile made me smile and it made me feel better about my own battle with cancer. She made me want to fight it with a smile on my face. We talked and we laughted at times. She had comments about my shoes and my colorful socks. It was fun while at the same time a relief to not take it so serious. We are rarely alone.
"when you look into the eyes of another human being you see yourself". This is how Mark ends this particular subject of taking the journey together. I love the way this is worded because if we look into the eyes of the person next to us in a hospital bed or on the bus, we do see ourselves and if we don't then I feel like we are missing something. I use to live in the city and now live in a suburban resort community. It is one where there are three thousand homes and a clubhouse with a pool and other things like a gym. I have noted how friendly people are here and have deduced that the reason is that they feel safe to be friendly knowing we all live here together and closely. I have taken this attitutude do the city when I visit and I have found that people respond really nicely to that idea of seeing yourself in others. When I see myself in others I feel whole. The fact is that I am a part of every human being. When I accept it I am in my place of joy as well.
If there is one things to recall as I still battle with the aftermath of chemo and radiation and a divorce is that I am not alone. There are many people battling with cancer and divorce at one time some of which don't have a home like mine or insurance like mine. The fact is that each person is going through their journey while I am experiencing mine. There are days when I would like to feel sorry for Elliott but then I think about the little girl who lost her hair from chemo therapy. Then I think about the people who are not only on the journey with me, they are struggling more than I am. None of us are so special and specific. We are all the same. When you look into a person's eyes there you are. We cannot avoid it because that person is us and we are them. Whether we like them or not does not matter.
The quote that I am sharing comes from The Book of Awakenings and Mark Nepo shares it with us all in his book. The premise of ths is that we may feel like we are alone on our journey but in reality there are many people on the journey with us, their own journey. Sometimes their journey looks like ours but even when it doesn't look like ours, they are on their path. It could be one of pain and of learning or it could be one of spiritual awakening. Rarely is anyone on their path alone. We need only to look up and see that their are faces in sorrow or some form of sadness or pain. We are never really alone.
I went to my physical therapy today and in the next bed divided by curtains I could hear a man speaking to his therapist who was doing some of the same things mine was doing for my lymphedema. I was not alone in my road to physical healing. There he was right next to me and I could hear him chatting with his therapist. I realized that I am not the only one going through this swelling of my leg and foot and there were two wonderful people helping him and helping me to walk a better walk and reduce the swelling that is so uncomfortable. Rarely are we alone.
When I was getting radiation there was a changing room for everyone and the appointments were back to back at the same time each day. There were others there that I would see each time I was there. One woman wore pink cowboy boots and indicated to me that the reason she wore them was to symbolize her healing as pink is a symbol and a color of awareness for healing cancer. I loved to see her at every appointment where she would be either waiting with me or coming out of her treatment. Her smile made me smile and it made me feel better about my own battle with cancer. She made me want to fight it with a smile on my face. We talked and we laughted at times. She had comments about my shoes and my colorful socks. It was fun while at the same time a relief to not take it so serious. We are rarely alone.
"when you look into the eyes of another human being you see yourself". This is how Mark ends this particular subject of taking the journey together. I love the way this is worded because if we look into the eyes of the person next to us in a hospital bed or on the bus, we do see ourselves and if we don't then I feel like we are missing something. I use to live in the city and now live in a suburban resort community. It is one where there are three thousand homes and a clubhouse with a pool and other things like a gym. I have noted how friendly people are here and have deduced that the reason is that they feel safe to be friendly knowing we all live here together and closely. I have taken this attitutude do the city when I visit and I have found that people respond really nicely to that idea of seeing yourself in others. When I see myself in others I feel whole. The fact is that I am a part of every human being. When I accept it I am in my place of joy as well.
If there is one things to recall as I still battle with the aftermath of chemo and radiation and a divorce is that I am not alone. There are many people battling with cancer and divorce at one time some of which don't have a home like mine or insurance like mine. The fact is that each person is going through their journey while I am experiencing mine. There are days when I would like to feel sorry for Elliott but then I think about the little girl who lost her hair from chemo therapy. Then I think about the people who are not only on the journey with me, they are struggling more than I am. None of us are so special and specific. We are all the same. When you look into a person's eyes there you are. We cannot avoid it because that person is us and we are them. Whether we like them or not does not matter.
Brave revelations! When we know or sympathize with one another's stories, our hearts are healed. I love this!
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