Incidentals

Sometimes I get so upset about how I look to people, what my clothes are like, how my hair looks, what people will think about me . . .

That is truly giving short shrift to the people I really love and respect, because those are not the things I remember about them -- and to be honest, not even the things I really see when I look at them.

I see the way they treat other people, their eagerness to please and help and be there for those they know and those who simply cross their paths.  I see the love they have for me reflected in their eyes and actions and in their ability to understand and know what is important to me.

I see the eagerness and curiosity that surrounds everything they do, the joy that pervades their lives, the way they handle adversity.

We are all each others' teachers and that extends my world and wisdom way beyond that tiny space surrounding me.

In truth, the real people in my world will always be here for me even when distance or death separates us, because I carry them in my heart and soul.  They are a very real part of me, ready to provide the same comfort and counsel they have always given me.

The important thing in life, the greatest gift we give each other is the life we live -- it is proof of who we are at our deepest core and is there to inspire and comfort and help give direction to all those who touch us.

Everything else is only incidental.