Politics and kindness are not often put in the same sentence these days.
We had to take a few deep breaths during today’s talk to say yes we will be kind even on voting day! BREATHE…..
Then there is online media…oh dear another one…. BREATHE….
I can actually admit that over the last few years I have unfriended people on social media (some of whom were relatives) due to political opinions that I just could not read every day and stay centered and calm (wait did you say loving kindness??). There is a Meme on social media that says: If you love me you will not vote for someone who would do harm to me. As a Gay, married woman whose rights are on the table in the political arena, it is hard to maintain loving kindness during these times. And yet… my very own sister whom I love very much is on the other end of the political spectrum. If we were to actually honestly speak about politics when together it would create a chasm that I’m not sure we could cross even tho we have a great love for each other. So we are both VERY careful NOT to talk politics. Sometimes there are pointed and meaningful moments of silence, but we nod and move on to other things.
It is an agreement from heart to heart to stay connected through the love, joy, support, sharing of spiritual things and Christian music concerts and her children my nephews and their children whom I love dearly. Family. Through love, we make it work.
As it should be when we walk in our world. When I have a client who begins to espouse political views and criticisms against things I feel differently about I just have to grin and bear it. It is never acceptable to argue or try to voice an opposing opinion in that circumstance the customer is always right… right? Oh wait did I hear loving kindness again? That is a step out of our day-to-day responses to actually choose love. It is a double step outside of tolerance to actual loving kindness. THAT is a practice! THAT takes real awareness and desire to curb our learned responses that bubble up during these challenging times and take a breath and CHOOSE to see things differently. More kindly, sprinkled with love and acceptance…. “tell me more about that” we can say.
Let’s make this our election-time theme in elevated consciousness.
“Let us be kind. Let us be generous. Let us be full of grace. Let us see the light in all people and be guided by that light all of our days” ~ Vice President Kamala Harris
In the Spirit of Loving Kindness ~ Carol Gadbaw
