Thursday, August 13, 2009

Compassion.

com⋅pas⋅sion

[kuhm-pash-uhn] Show IPA –noun
1. a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.


Today, I was taking the train home. I'm doing my thing you know, fidgeting non stop , checking people out and creating scenes and conversational boxes in my silly head and have a snicker or two with my make up conversations. * Eyes rolls, yeah sometimes I get a little wickedly weird.


Anyways, then I spot a space inbetween those cabins to stand at? You know those metal things? Anyways as I step back I realized that actually there was a lady standing with her hands on knees facing downwards. And took off her high heels shoe. Obviously she wasnt okay but apparently no one was bothered by her behavior. Honestly as fazed as I was, I waited till like 3 4 stops later to actually walk up and consequently get stared at for my act.

And what's annoying to me is, everyone around her was looking at different directions except, of course at her. So I tapped her shoulder and asked her if she was okay. She looked up and gave me a painful look and said she's having bad cramps. I immediately took out my pills and pass some to her and told her to drop off the train and take the pills yeah. Yeah sure of course everyone was still staring at this little "show" .

Then I just stood there and did my own thing again. Then a couple of stops later, she started speaking to me again, telling me about random things like, how she was having a hard time , how a certain man was being not so right in her life , about church , about God. So then, I told her what I knew, how I got through a tough part of life, about my faith even though its not big, but it's faith still in God and how if its anything, God never put something in your life that it's too hard for you to get through, just look to Him and ask Him for that extra strength that is gonna get you through anything. So we actually had a conversation all the way back home and she told me more about her life , she even stayed the same area as me. She gave me her number and told me to drop her text , cause sometimes she just need to talk to someone and she was glad she had someone to pour things out to when days like these gets too hard for her.

Okay, the main point of me writing this is not to show how great I am , cause if its anything I do not think I am that great . Because to me, its just a simple act, if you see someone fall, wont you instinctly rush over and help? But what I am trying to put across is , what is wrong with us people nowadays? She was obviously in the train before I was, she was obviously in pain and no one bothered asking her anything and everyone was just trying to pretend everything was normal and looked in all directions except for hers, the cliche of it. And no one gave up their seat for her!

And when I went up to check on her, everyone looked on as though it was weird or something out of the ordinary, cause honestly, it's not. Its instinct , it's something we were meant to do. We were meant to love, care , give, hope. Shouldnt we be reaching out and showing a little more compassion ? Instead of worrying about what other people would think or what if this person is mad?

Cause let me ask you something, if you notice this lady crying in the train , or someone in pain , but because you were afraid of what other people might think or you just wanna mind your own business thinking that someone else will eventually go up and ask her whats wrong. Okay, then imagine this, the next morning, you wake up , wash up and all. Sat down and had your breakfast, open the papers and started reading this story titled " Lady who died because no one would listen " You stared at the photo, slowly the memory of this lady's face came in your mind . Then you realized, if only you did something. If only you showed a little compassion, if you did what no one did instead of just waiting.

Maybe it would not be extreme, but you and me , we both know, little acts of kindness , love , hope, goes a long way. Remember the last time someone asked you how you were doing? remember the last time some stranger asked if you were okay when you were tearing? Remember that, and pass on that compassion. If no one ever show you that amount of compassion, then start by showing others. Cause ask yourself, dont you want to be understood? Dont you want someone to listen to you? To know that even if things arent right, even a stranger can love and show you alittle kindess, wouldnt that gives you hope?

The value of compassion cannot be over-emphasized. Anyone can criticize. It takes a true believer to be compassionate. No greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know no one cares or understands.

Arthur H. Stainback quotes

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