Sunflower grown by my daughter, Elizabeth. Photograph by Barbara Mattio

Wild Geese

“Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting—-over and over announcing your place in the family of things.”

————-Mary Oliver

Life is not a Hallmark card and there are times we get to the edge of the cliff. We are weighed down with grief, loss, confusion and feel lost. The entire world is looking for us. We have much to live for and we need to immerse ourselves in the full experience that is awaiting us. Our humanity is what is waiting and we can walk tall and respond to the call of the world.

This human life is frail and we miss many simple acts of kindness and compassion. There are days when someone speaking kindly to us at the bookstore is what gets us through. So I believe that each day that is not a struggle for us is a day for random acts of kindness. The thoughtful gesture, the person who looks us in the eyes and really “sees” us, the brush of a hand, a human hand that reminds us we do really exist. Be the stranger who reminds someone that they are part of the human family.

Photo by Barbara Mattio