I was standing on line for coffee in a bakery in New Paltz NY and the young barista behind the counter clearly wasn’t feeling well.  A male customer on line in front of me must have been a regular and knew the young server.  He asked him if he was doing ok that he didn’t look well.  The young man behind the counter replied, “I’m not feeling well today.”      To which the man on line replied compassionately, “that’s ok” and preceded to place his order.  I was so touched by the man in front of me.  It really struck me how real this exchange was.     The young man was lovingly seen by this customer who had no  judgement or attitude.  It was as if we were living in a different time,  a kinder gentler time. 

                        Then the woman on line behind me struck up a conversation.  She wanted me to know about a daily local mediation group that that was happening right around the corner.  When I told her that I was not from the area and  I was here visiting a friend she wanted to know where I was from.  When I told her Westchester she proceeded to tell me about some groups that meet in my town that I hadn’t known anything about.

As I got my coffee and walked upstairs I felt a spontaneous smile come over my face.  Somehow the beautiful simplicity of these interactions and just feeling the kindness from both the man in front of me online and the woman behind me.  Looking outside from my seat and watching the street below starting to wake up and some how everything felt right. 

We are all the same underneath it all and we can feel the goodness when it emanates from others.  Not everyone can emanate goodness and kindness into the world and if they can’t or don’t then maybe it isn’t our place to judge them or make an assumption about why.  Maybe recognizing with gratitude that we can shine our light amidst those who can’t for whatever reason. 

Shine your light because you never know the full effect or who will be touched by it. It may just ignite the flame in another and wouldn’t that be fun!!  Like the flame of a candle being passed around a circle lighting all the other candles. The original flame is not weakened by this and  the light that is cast is so much brighter having been shared. 

These can feel like dark and lonely times and it’s important to remember that you are not in this alone. Other light workers (as we have been appropriately called)  are here shining our light and when you are shining too, it’s easier to find each other.