Wednesday, July 30, 2014

True Compassion

Today is One Word Wednesday, hosted by my friend Lisa Moles.  Lisa chooses one word each Wednesday and we blog about what that word means to us. Most of us, that choose to participate, are care givers in one form or another. I usually talk about my Mom and my care giving journey with her.  Today I am not going to talk about Mom...today I am going to talk about how we are all called to be care givers.

Today's word is COMPASSION.  I read Lisa's blog in which she revealed the word and talked about compassion and what it means to her.  It is truly a great read and I was very impressed and touched by it. Click on the link to One Word Wednesday above even if you don't want to participate just so that you can be blown away by her post this week.

I must admit that I continued on with my morning and thoughts of compassion were flitting around in my head but not landing anywhere.  It is not that I don't have compassion for Mom but not really as much as I used to because she no longer is as upset and confused as she used to be.  She is too far gone in her disease to remember that she is confused and upset.  She is happy and content, for right now anyways.

So, I wasn't really sure what to write about compassion.  I thought about writing of the compassion I feel for other care givers.  Or some of the other residents in Mom's memory care center who have not adjusted as well as Mom.  Or of  two of my friends who recently lost their husbands and are suddenly thrust out of the role of care giver.  Or of my friend whose wife just had a stroke and is not doing well and who will probably be thrust into the role of care giver.

Then, I went onto facebook and a friend from my church had posted this video.  God so often speaks to me through my friends....



We are all called to be care givers.
  We are all called to be compassionate.
 We are all called. 

Linking up with Thrive at Home Thursday this week.  Stop by and learn how others Thrive at Home.

26 comments:

  1. Wendy,
    Be gentle with yourself. Your perceived shortcomings are few and lack of compassion is certainly not one of them.
    I love you, Larnzy

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  2. Tissue warning would have been nice. What an amazing video. You can't deny compassion when you see it! I am so glad Mom is in that happy place right now. I may have already told you this, but I have a friend who says Alzheimer's is like time to a bottle of wine - it just intensifies whatever was in the person/bottle. If your mom was happy before - she may just get happier...wouldn't that be a blessing? YOU are a blessing, my friend...thank you so much for sharing this!

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    1. I agree with your friend Lisa. I have said many times that this disease just makes all the character traits more pronounced. Mom was always happy and social and a princess and now she is even happier because she has a staff of servants to wait on her LOL. Thanks for hosting OWW and making me think a little bit.

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  3. I agree with the tissue warning when it comes to that video! Man!

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    1. yep my hubby and I were blubbering at breakfast this morning.

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  4. Oh wow. That video just blew me away. SO beautiful, thank you for sharing!

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  5. This post is a beautiful reminder and of course the video is very touching.
    But the video provoked a new thought. I've seen many of these inspirational videos before today - but why is it easier (in most American cases) to have a giving heart for someone you don't know - when we don't take the time to get to know the elderly neighbors down the street, if they need anything. Or the new mom, or the married mother's of a child with disability with no family support, etc... Thank you for posting - this video has given me great conviction today.

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    1. Great point Tanya. We all need to keep our eyes and hearts open and see those around us who need love, help and compassion.

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  6. This is lovely. You never know what anyone s going through.

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    1. True Karen, It really struck a chord in my heart and demanded that I share it with others. Thanks for stopping by.

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  7. Shared it on Twitter! Great post!

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  8. You are on a tough journey. Be commpassionate with yourself, as well. Easier said than done, I know.

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    1. Thanks Dorothy, I do try to be kind to myself and you are right, it is not always easy.

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  9. What a great lesson. Thanks for sharing the video.

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  10. Great post! I saw this video last night and was tearing up at the look on his face when they gave him the hat.

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    1. What got me was the end where they pulled another hat out of the bag and went off in search of another person to help.

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  11. Thanks so much for linking up! I really enjoyed your post! We definitely need more compassion- I was just thinking about that today since my husband and I were asked to share our story about how God has been working in my life and we became foster parents. I've been through a lot and I think that it has given me such empathy that having compassion is natural and thus fostering, but a lot of people were worried about us getting hurt. Somehow, the possibility of pain is an "out" when it comes to putting compassion in action. You've gotten me thinking- thanks so much!
    -S.L. Payne, uncommongrace.net

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    1. Thanks S.L. The Lord does manage to talk to us each day through different venues. I am blessed that today He used my blog to speak to you.

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  12. And when I think I have no tears left....thank you Wendy. There are so many out there who are so worse off than me right now.

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    1. There will always be people worse off than us but that does not negate our feelings of sorrow and loss. You are entitled to grieve, allow yourself those feelings...you worked for them, you earned them.

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