“Every moment and every event of every man’s life on earth plants something in his soul.” – Thomas Merton
On Friday, I went to the mall to buy some new clothes for upcoming meetings. Like many activities, my intention was to get in and out quickly without delay, without notice, to get it over with.
Head down, thinking about what’s next, I placed the clothes on the counter. Slide check card, sign, transaction done, receipt in the bag, ready to say a quick thank you and go, go, go. But this time I stopped, looked up directly in the clerk’s eyes, smiled and said a sincere thank you. Moving the moment from a mundane transaction to undivided attention and acknowledgement. A simple yet profound reminder to be in the moment completely. Instead of passing by or around, we can choose to pass through aware and engaged, giving more than a glance.
We are called to go deeper in and reach further out.
“The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.” – Thomas Merton