Complex and Fickle

No individual is all good or all bad. That’s why compassion and empathy are such important traits. We have to be gentle with each other. Everyone is carrying a heavy load. Baggage. It could be anxiety, loneliness, depression, unemployment, homelessness, family issues — really anything. Sometimes we forget about all of the trials that a person could be facing because we often see all the good, plastered everywhere. All over social media. We post highlights, not lowlights. We want to share all of the good things that are going on. I’m sharing cropped, filtered photos of vacations and smiling faces. I’m not posting about the argument I just had with a friend or the driver that cut me off and how I had a few colorful words for him (as my gospel music blared). No, we don’t post that stuff. You really never know the battle the next person is facing. Have a little grace for the other guy and yourself. Have the memory of a goldfish, not an elephant. Be kind. I once heard a person say that they wished another person would fail.It stopped me in my tracks. You want someone to fail? I literally asked the person that question. The rationale was that they thought the person needed to learn a lesson. Perhaps it’s not always our job to dole out lessons and tests that we couldn’t even pass ourselves. Tables can turn quickly. I think the quote says that you meet the same people on your way up that you meet on your way down. Be compassionate. We are complex individuals and a coworker once reminded me that we are also fickle. I asked him to explain. Essentially he said that our experiences vary and each day is different. Our moods change. One day we are fantastic and the next day not so much. Whatever events occur cause us to make decisions. But things change, so we change. We can appear fickle. Show grace. It is definitely needed this time of year. It’s not a cliche for me, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year. I can feel the joy. Decorations abound. Friendliness is the focus. But there is another side. The festivities cause us to remember those that are no longer here. Some of us experience loneliness or we are completely overwhelmed. Emotions are like a rollercoaster. We are complex. We should probably take more time to read each other’s fine print. Part of mine would say, “Handle with care. Be genuine. Enjoys silence and reflection, but also loves to laugh loudly with friends.” We all have intricacies, issues, ailments, highs and lows. Be gentle.