I feel so petty complaining about snow on the first day of spring when there are people losing their loved ones and people afraid of being exposed to radiation even as we speak. I am grateful and oh so thankful to that gentleman and angel of a policeman who helped us out of the snow this morning. They say here in Orange County, New York that Storm King mountain (as beautiful as it gets in fall) demands respect in winter time. "This is first day of spring," I was whining as I came in the door after being stranded for over two hours. Then I apologized. "I am sorry." The apology was meant for God to hear and forgive me.
Instead, my husband says, "Don't have to apologise, you are the one who suffered." Suffered? Again, I was ashamed of my own behavior.
They say look at a person without a foot, before complaining that your shoes are old. This was after Hirohima and Nagasaki disasters. However terms and terminologies have changed for better. Now people who get amputations have chances of getting prosthetics. Among all of the milestones and breakthroughs the best one I heard of is "Sisterhood of Cities."
"Sisterhood of cities" is a program where people of two cities exchange students from each other. One gives young people of the other citya chance to experience what life is like there. So New York has Tokyo as our International Sister City. Hawaii has about five different cities from Japan. Dallas has something called friendship city connection with Sendai. Teachers and other academic people from Dallas have an attachment with schools and students in Sendai. It was nice to see pictures of American students and Japanese students sharing common interests. Today students from high schools in Dallas feel loss of their Japanese friends from Sendai just like loss of their own family members.
10 comments:
I wouldn't feel guilty. I think all life is a matter of perspective and we all get caught up in our lives. There will always be someone suffering more than us and someone being more successful than us. The key is to find balance where we can be appreciative of the things that we have in our life and set goals for ourselves that are within reach. Additionally, when something terrible does befall someone else, it is good to remind ourselves that we have the ability to reach out to them and help them and then follow through with that support and encouragment.
Foreign exchange programs are wonderful, they're a great way of reaching out and really getting to know other cultures and people. I've made many friends from all over the world.
Also thanks for asking, my project is going slow but maybe one day it will turn into something worthwhile. Have a wonderful day.
It's an art to appreciate the things in life that annoy us in order to maintain a habit of being thankful when things are awesome :)
Thanks for the reminder to remember those who are in greater need.
I enjoyed reading your post. Sometimes we forget others have more serious problems than we do. It's good to be reminded.
What a thoughtful, sensitive person you are! I didn't know about Sisterhood of Cities. And in my own city of Dallas! Thank you for sharing that. Have a wonderful day.
Hey, I wanted to let you know that I've chosen you for the "Your blog doesn't suck" award that I received in turn from fellow blogger Roguemutt over on his blog. Please stop by and claim the little picture to post on your blog (if you want) and then pass it on to five other bloggers that you've discovered in your travels that don't have it yet :))
I do what you do. If I complain, I (usually) remember how fortunate I am and try my best to let go of my negative feelings. Funny though, when I feel grateful for something as simple as the sun's rays bursting through the clouds, I don't check myself with a reminder that someone somewhere won the lottery last night, or someone is on vacation and has a much easier life than I do.
Perhaps, we feel what we feel when we feel it and simply do our best to make our way back to center, back to joy and that simple gratitude, as best we can? We cannot love others fully, or have real compassion, if we do not first have it for ourselves.
I'm sorry you were stuck in snow and delayed, and I'm glad you made it home safely.
Sisterhood of cities is a nice concept. Never even thought about that. Thanks for sharing :)
"Look at a person without a foot, before complaining that your shoes are old" -- good perspective. And the sister cities concept is cool!
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