Reach Out: Compassion Will Help Other People…and Yourself

<blockquote> <p>I just got back from the doctor&rsquo;s. My legs landed me there because I was so swollen and in pain due to a chronic condition. I was juggling a cane and my bag to make my way into the Uber driver&rsquo;s car. &ldquo;Get your ass into this car,&rdquo; I chided myself. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t let him come around and help you.&rdquo;</p> <p>Of course, he came around and it took about 10 minutes to get me into his ride. My dress got caught up in my bag and without a thought, he untangled it. I was sniffling as we took off. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t worry,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll get there.&rdquo; &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll get you right up to the door and you can have my arm.&rdquo; I gently refused. Not because I didn&rsquo;t need it, but because I hated feeling so vulnerable. But when we got there, there was no refusing him. He delivered me to the door.</p> </blockquote> <p>He didn&rsquo;t cure my pain. He didn&rsquo;t take away my fear. But he confronted the things I was afraid of &mdash; falling, being dependent, looking needy and pathetic.</p> <p><em>He gave me compassion</em>. And I accepted it.&nbsp;<em>It wasn&rsquo;t graceful, but it was full</em>&nbsp;<em>of</em>&nbsp;<em>grace</em>. He treated me with a combination of tenderness and respect. And when we said, &ldquo;Goodbye,&rdquo; it was as if we had completed a transaction, one in which we were&nbsp;<em>both</em>&nbsp;enriched. He took the chance of being kind and I took the chance of accepting it. I was reminded again, that&nbsp;<em>feeling humble is</em>&nbsp;<em>not the same as being humiliated</em>.</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/curious/reach-out-compassion-will-help-other-people-and-yourself-dbeb4b384ae">Read More</a></p>