Sunday, June 01, 2025
Sunday Reflection: The Heart of Others
On Friday, I was riding my bike home from work, almost there, when I came past a woman pushing a stroller, with a young boy walking behind, crying. It was one of those sporadic crying fits kids that age will have, where it comes and goes. The mom was just trudging along, trying to get home.
I knew exactly how they all felt. I've been that parent. I've been that kid. And for some reason, in that moment, I felt it-- that walk that went on too long, without enough food, without a nap. It's no one's fault, really, but there you are and all you can do is try to get home. It was more than a memory, it was a re-living, emotionally.
It was supposed to be fun, right? The walk? It's good to get outside, after all. But sometimes that instinct is wrong, and then you are blocks from home and there just isn't much you can do. And somehow there is nothing as lacerating as a child crying, and the helplessness in that situation is searing. But... you can't get mad at the kid. You can't do anything to fix the problem. So you just trudge on home and know that they will be better then. The kid will sit at the kitchen table and eat some grapes. Maybe he'll just fall asleep on the couch. It's ok. It will be ok.
I wish that I could have that more often, to be able to totally understand the emotions of another. I suppose, like most things, it is a function of effort, patience, and humility.
And perhaps, if I can do that, I'll be better at loving my neighbor.
