Finding Our Own Corner of the World

Yesterday morning was typically cold and windy for a January day in New England.  The light layer of snow was crunchy and slick.   The cars were camoflaged in sand and salt.  Most faces were hidden behind layers of scarves, hoods and high collars. 

I recently changed positions in my agency and moved to another building.  As part of the change in routine I take myself to a third floor conference room first thing in the morning to spend twenty minutes doing Tai Chi.  This is a perfect room.  It has windows that face the hills and morning sun.  Below the window is a vacant lot.

As I was bringing the Qi to my dan tien from heaven and earth, I watched the activity in the lot below.  A group of stray cats came running from all directions toward the parking lot.  Even though they were feral, they all looked fat and happy.  I soon saw what was bringing them all together.  A women approached from the parking lot carrying a bag of food.  They quickly greeted her and she stopped to feed them and say hello.

We can argue that these cats need to be caught and spayed and neutered and protected.  That is not the point of this writing.  We can argue that it is not her responsibility to feed them.  However, I happen to know that this woman has needs that are addressed by community agencies.  She is a victim of stigma and she struggles daily to find purpose in her life.  She has found a purpose and she is willing to venture out on a cold New England morning to take care of those she has deemed less fortunate than herself.  She is able to see beyond her own symptoms of illness and find a way to take care of a little corner of the world. 

I often counsel people who feel so hopeless that they cannot find joy in any moment of the day.  I try to draw them outside of themselves to find a corner of the world where they can find some peace and focus on something besides their own pain.  I don't know thae woman who feeds the cats.  I have only heard about her from others.  But I wish that others could learn from her example.  I wish others could learn that no matter how cold and lonely the world seems, there is always a place we can go where we are needed and can give back.  The world would be a much better place if we each found our own little corner to tend and nurture, a place that would take us out of our inner pain.