“I have not broken your heart – you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine.”
― Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights
Some days I wish for do over moments in life, a pause button that we press, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. Do overs are fleeting and we often miss them. It bewilders me when I hear of family discord, cruelty, and neglect. “What’s done is done,” “Leave the past in the past,” or even, “Who cares?” With matters of the heart, it can be difficult to accept those unhelpful words, impossible to reconcile the loss. That’s betrayal’s legacy, deep loss. The world continues turning, we move forward, busy, preoccupied, until in time we find ourselves pausing, searching for answers. A fleeting do over moment, a chance to say what we need to say or do what we need to do.
If only we could empathize with another in that moment, appreciate the point of view, feel the sadness, experience the pain. If we could sit on our anger, appreciate that words wound. Quick to judge another, we assume we know the reasons why as we point fingers to blame. The other is our enemy. We are satisfied with ourselves, we shut the door.
Could we listen to the inner voice that whispers~ Be kind? Could we comfort the saddened soul, connect to their sorrow? It is easier to blame. We allow betrayal to cut deep and we mock. The wound festering until the truth is revealed when we eventually meet face to face. A do over moment, opportunities provided by the universe to set our souls to right.
Look into my eyes. I am your sister, your friend, your neighbour. I am your mother, your grandmother, a member of your community. I am your daughter. We are all family.
Don’t waste an opportunity to extend a hand, offer a kind word, listen to a voice. Through loving kindness we can heal. Simple true words. Connect to another in that precious do over moment.
❤