To love, accept and appreciate . . .

"One of the most satisfying experiences I know is just to fully appreciate

an individual in the same way I appreciate a sunset....I don't find myself

saying, "Soften the orange a little more on the right hand corner, and put a

bit more purple along the base, and use a little more pink in the cloud color,"

 . . . I don't try to control the sunset. I watch it in awe as it unfolds."

- Carl R Rogers

{A huge thank you to my kids for getting up extra early to allow me to witness this incredible sunrise}

 

It would be freeing wouldn't it, to just accept and be accepted for who we are.

To love and be loved unconditionally simply for no other reason than because we are human.

I mean, isn't that what we all strive for in this life anyway, above all else, to be loved?

And to belong? To not have to compromise our beliefs just to fit in?


I think when we allow for a mutual exchange of our experiences and knowledge and of how we

all see things, it will teach us respect, understanding and empathy towards each other.

It is, in these things that I believe we will find unity in our humanity, and love for our neighbor.

Because there is no hope for humanity without tolerance, no hope of love without first loving.

The intolerance I see growing simply breeds hate, hate destroys hope and without hope we become a world

full of despair and filled with fear. And fear is crippling. Maybe more like paralyzing  . . . going

neither forward nor backward.


And hasn't history shown us over and over again that action needs to accompany wisdom,

because without it, it serves no purpose at all. It serves no one, not even ourselves.

To be loved, accepted and appreciated, we first need to find a way to love, accept and appreciate those

around us where they are, and for who they are. Not for who we want them to be.


Every sunrise is different and unique and no two are ever the same. We don't expect them to be the same.

In fact it would be inconceivable to think we could change a sunrise. And why would we want to?

Yet we have all at one time, probably thought we could change someone else, maybe even the way they 

think. And who are we to think we should? I have seen a lot of sunrises and I admit there have been times

when I was disappointed because it wasn't what I thought it would be, or should be, or what I had hoped.

Because of my unrealistic expectations, I blinded myself to what was before me.  And I asked myself that

scary question, "How many times have I done that with others?"


Over the last 4 years I have had the opportunity to develop a bond with nature in a way that has taught me

many things. Nature's biggest secret . . . is her patience. She has a rhythm, nothing is rushed, and everything

has a purpose. So do we. So do the people that cross our paths, it is simply not our job to change them.

My wish is that we could learn to embrace and accept our differentness. And when we get past the

expectations, then we will begin to see and appreciate the incredible things about those around us unfold in

awe as well.


Because perhaps, just maybe, we are all different because we were not meant to be the same!


Love, Kim
XO


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