In an overworked person, no matter how much he is eager to help others, feelings of compassion will soon lost. We were born as human beings who have a bunch of matters for ourselves to tackle and concern. Helping someone unconditionally is good, though we are unable to hold the role of God for years without demands for worthy rewards.
Kindness has its two forms: love and reciprocity. What comes from heart goes to heart and what comes from purposes goes to goals. Obviously both allow us to receive something as what we deliver is our goodness, though bliss or happiness would be completely different in terms of definition and sensation.
Every time people suffer a hurricane, we are compassionate. But we never feel it entirely until it really happens to us. A person in possession of a good fortune as the result of passing years in extreme poverty must be in want of helping those who are bearing the same state of being poor. The current images of the poor would deeply remind him of what he got through which reinforces the sense of sympathy more strongly than any one else might feel.
However, most of parish priests and nuns' lifetime dedication to help the sick overcome pains and diseases wholeheartedly just because they feel blissful to serve and put smiles on others. The solicitude does not come from any reason or purpose since to them, happiness of others are priceless awards. They use their heart and flame of enthusiasm to burn the hope of survival in each patient. I once heard some French nuns previously requesting to arrive in Vietnam so as to only live with the leper. Well, that was an old story, yet I still wonder if there are such "angels" like these in the world nowadays. Anyway, I believe there are…somewhere :p
Wait! If you are trying to remind me of doctors and nurses, I would have said that what they are doing seems to be for exchange. You take various remedies and good service at hospital because you have to pay for those things. Okay, they help you on account of your reward that you would give them afterwards. Someone would be kicked out of a hospital soon if he could not afford to pay for the fee which is such a true fact in Vietnam *laugh* no money means no life.
Another sort of reciprocity exchange is that kindness would provide us a good-person tag and sweet fruits in next incarnation according to causal principle. A blind beggar crawling on the street certainly makes you touched with pity, with no second thought, you give alms. This action generally originates from your heart. Others might make it work the same way but their motive is quite different. Some suppose that we reap what we sow and by doing good things would lead to positive consequences in life. Their purposes are not totally wrong and sinful because all of us are the same. Not surprisingly, there is always a devil of greed and egocentric hidden in each of us and we must agree the fact that we were not born to be angels on the Earth.
Although we perhaps save someone’s life on account of our good will, it is impossible to keep assisting others all the time while there are countless other troubles in our own lives awaiting us to tackle asap. Nobody can make it. Of course exception is not included. But true to say it is rare.
Parents. Relatives. Lover. Friend. Spouse. Children?!
That they are supposed to spend a lifetime or half of it with you never means they would stick their ass for your sake permanently. Trust me. Parents’ dedication to our life is obvious but their concern has its limit which literally emerges when we have reached our adulthood. As growing up, we are confronted of other obstacles involved many people that we meet in this complex society. We make friends, catch a cool lover, get married to someone called spouse and produce babies. We must take care of them and should be aware of the unconditional love that parents used to give us, then we are bound to comprehend that there are periods we are too listless to hold our roles and parental responsibilities.
That’s our family along with beloved ones. How about others? Friends and even strangers? Do you have enough patience to make sure that your kindness is endless?
No, I don’t. Absolutely not :) I am in the middle of two forms which defines me as a real human being. Sometimes it is nice to help someone, but don’t make a fool of yourself while attempting to become a hero that is beyond your capacity.
As writing this post, I have just ceased to spread myself thin and focus on handling my own issues. Mercy on us, it’s not too late to take care of myself! Being a good person does not mean to become a people-pleaser but the way of living at peace with my conscience. So there!
Je suis là, comme je l'ai rêvé! :)
Bonne nuit,
xoxo
Hal
