Jan Marquart's Blog - Posts Tagged "compassion"

When I read Ram Dass' book, How Can I Help, it changed how I viewed my world. It reminded me that we are all alike with life stories of both trauma, joy, and dealing with ordinary days that we yearn to become extraordinary. I read How Can I Help more than twenty years ago yet I still remember scenes where Ram Dass helped people and I can still feel the power of it in my heart. Unfortunately my busy days often allow me to slip off his powerful messages. When I had a clothing store I sometimes found myself reacting to the attitude a customer brought into my shop. One day a couple walked in. I said hello and the wife said hello. I asked if I could help them find an item and the wife said no. The husband was distant and abrupt. His attitude bordered on rude but I figured he didn't want to come into my shop and was there only because he walked in to follow his wife. He appeared bored and anxious to leave. The wife picked out something to buy and as I was ringing it up I asked them my usual question: what brings you to Santa Fe? That's when I realized that again I had forgotten the messages in Ram Dass' book. I had promised myself so many times to remember that we are all suffering in some way and that we need to meet each other with compassion. The husband looked at me and quietly stated that he had come to Santa Fe to get his son's body who had just committed suicide. Then we had a powerful conversation and I found myself comforting this man I, only seconds ago, had judged as rude. Why do I tell you this? I tell you this because we each have our stories. I tell you this because our stories are powerful and need to be written. Without sharing our stories we remain alone, disconnected from the emotions that bind us all together as one humanity. What is your memorable story about someone who changed your day?

When I read Ram Dass' book, How Can I Help, it changed how I viewed my world. It reminded me that we are all alike with life stories of both trauma, joy, and dealing with ordinary days that we yearn to become extraordinary. I read How Can I Help more than twenty years ago yet I still remember scenes where Ram Dass helped people and I can still feel the power of it in my heart. Unfortunately my busy days often allow me to slip off his powerful messages. When I had a clothing store I sometimes found myself reacting to the attitude a customer brought into my shop. One day a couple walked in. I said hello and the wife said hello. I asked if I could help them find an item and the wife said no. The husband was distant and abrupt. His attitude bordered on rude but I figured he didn't want to come into my shop and was there only because he walked in to follow his wife. He appeared bored and anxious to leave. The wife picked out something to buy and as I was ringing it up I asked them my usual question: what brings you to Santa Fe? That's when I realized that again I had forgotten the messages in Ram Dass' book. I had promised myself so many times to remember that we are all suffering in some way and that we need to meet each other with compassion. The husband looked at me and quietly stated that he had come to Santa Fe to get his son's body who had just committed suicide. Then we had a powerful conversation and I found myself comforting this man I, only seconds ago, had judged as rude. Why do I tell you this? I tell you this because we each have our stories. I tell you this because our stories are powerful and need to be written. Without sharing our stories we remain alone, disconnected from the emotions that bind us all together as one humanity. What is your memorable story about someone who changed your day?