Thank you Kent. This is so beautiful. I look forward to reading it again and again. Like silence, your written words are nuanced and give me pause for reflection.
It's about what Identity means. How do we define ourselves? What labels do we attach to ourselves that make us who we are? Am I a river? If I'm a river, how can I be an ocean? I've always been a river. I know these banks, those rocks, these fish. What lies ahead is unfamiliar, and I'm afraid.
If we can separate ourselves from our perceived identity, we can become closer to a feeling of belonging to this unknown, of being a part of a whole, of being connected to the great Mystery. The river surrenders who she thinks she is and becomes unified with All.
Compassion, to me, is opening wide, accepting what is without judgment, being present in love to whatever, whoever, while at the same time feeling the desire to relieve the suffering of another. In my life, compassion is active; I try to be in gratitude for all of my blessings so that I have an abundance of blessings to give to others. Even if it's only a smile or a kind word, I see the responding answer and I am blessed again.
On May 16, 2023 Victoria wrote on Shape Of Silence, by Kent Nerburn: