It is easy for me to forget that a new day begins after the previous day ends. I get caught in the dawn’s excitement, the rush of a new start. This week has been a reminder of the cycle which endlessly repeats until it abruptly ends. Closing of one, a period of darkness followed by an emerging thread of light to reveal the new.
In coming back to my father and stepmother’s home without his smile and voice, I realise the sunset had passed. Almost immediately, I began to sense a glimmer of light shaped by the bonds of love and affection we share in memories of the same individual. As I move through this into a new day, I find myself remembering a sunset I shared with Dad along Lee Highway. It was one of those stop what we were doing, let’s just appreciate what we are experiencing right now kind of moments.
As I look forward to a new day, life gently reminds me of the lessons over the years I shared with him.
In all things, love and kindness are the first priority. Each gets better when combined with an embrace of compassion and understanding. In this scene, the best place for rules and judgment is in a corner that no one remembers. It might appear as if I am not willing to hold anyone, including myself, accountable. I would suggest the opposite. When one benchmarks everything with love and kindness, it is the highest standard possible.
Experiencing love and kindness changes one from the inside out. Each time I am embraced with an awareness of love and belonging, I understand what it is to be a member of Divinity’s family. When someone is kind, especially in moments when I know I do not deserve it, I feel kindness with my heart, mind, and soul. I am inspired to be kind in all that I do, understanding Paul’s joy in expressing “I truly delight in God’s commands” (Romans 7.22)
Saying goodbye is hard, but the legacy can live on through me today.
