Promise

Life is a short and temporary thing and so fragile. People can be damaged so easily by so little. And while some can endure a great deal and find themselves stronger for it, others are completely destroyed. I think one of the most destructive human offenses is neglect; insidious because it comes in such well-intentioned disguises; busy lives, other priorities, life getting in the way of life. It is only made worse by our willingness to forgive others for it because we desire the same mercy from others for our own infractions.

Nurtured by inaction and inattention, neglect seeps little by little, every day, into the lives of people around us in the same way that people get fat. Without our being aware of the differences between one day and the next, we suddenly look in the mirror and see a hideous reflection of something that may be too difficult to change because we have not developed discipline enough to maintain our image much less reverse the damage.

It is easy to take care of those we love when their needs are great or temporary. We nurse our sick and we comfort those who mourn. We grant fantastic wishes to the terminally ill, play radio dedications for the tragically wounded, create foundations in the names of beautiful lost children. But what of those whose wounds are less obvious? Whose pain is great but whose appearance is plain? Did I truly encounter no one today that needed encouragement or empathy?

How often do I sow neglect with my impatience? How often do I let myself wallow in my own small injustices and miss seeing the holes in others that I could fill with a few words of encouragement. Language is so important to the human condition. It is largely words that inspire us or encourage us. And it is words also, that chip away at our confidence. And a lack of words that starve us of our connection to the people around us.

I will take responsibility for the fact that, in some small ways and some large, I help make the people around me who they are.

I promise to tend my garden better. To find better words.