(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . The Matter of Love [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-01-21 I am sitting here in my home in West Seattle in the early morning in January 2024 before dawn has erupted, attempting to compose my thoughts regarding the state of humanity. It is a Saturday morning and the regular routine for Julia and I is to help out at the “Saturday Meal.” This is a weekly event supported by local church groups that has been created to assist individuals and families in our community who are in need. Julia and I have the job of distributing needed items that have been donated for the unsheltered – warm coats, sleeping bags, tents, backpacks, blankets, tarps etc. In doing so, we have the opportunity to be a direct witness to the life so many of the homeless experience and to interact directly with those who are in such a state. When they queue up for services it is apparent that some are close friends with each other, some suffer from mental illness, some are alone, but the kindness is readily apparent. I have come to know some of them on a first name basis. What is astonishing to me is that even under the constant, and daily stress most of them endure, a sense of graciousness, mutual respect and generosity of spirit are readily apparent. This kind of direct exposure has illuminated for me the reality that we are all members of the human family – each of us deserving of an equitable place at the “table.” This experience has been for me a not-so-subtle reminder of how narrow the line is between the self-perception that one has been successful in life and the perception that one has been a failure. In truth, an individual’s economic circumstance is not a valid indictor of either success or failure. Sadly, this sobering experience is a reminder for me of how we readily participate in a society in which this unconscionable state of homelessness and despair endured by so many is so well tolerated and allowed to persist. To me, the troubling aspect of human experience is the degree to which unnecessary suffering is everywhere around us, and, more importantly, that this suffering is primarily human-caused. This intrinsic aspect of the human world has been evident since the very beginnings of civilization. Given this persistent manifestation, is there any real possibility that this could change – supplanting hatred, aggression, and violence with true peace. The hope for this kind of transformation lies within the power of love – not only love of ourselves, our family, our friends but extended to all members of the human community. How could this kind of love be defined. In this regard, I feel that to love someone, including self, is to embrace that individual. I am visualizing this embrace as occurring at the level of the mind. I define this embrace as an active recognition of the intrinsic value of the other person; an acceptance of another’s thoughts and expressions, points of view, outlook on life, appearance etc. This kind of embrace requires a great deal of active listening and a minimum of judging and finding faults. This kind of love requires a willingness to be open and necessarily encourages the capacity to change. Without this kind of change, it is exceedingly likely that human suffering having its origins in the way humans treat one another will proceed unabated into a future where fear and hatred, greed and intolerance, aggression and violence will continue to thrive. Without this kind of transformation, we will guarantee a future much like the present – not a pleasant prospect. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/1/21/2218649/-The-Matter-of-Love?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/