The acknowledgement of suffering

Loving Kindness Metta Meditation

Every morning before going to work or starting my day, I sit at my desk with a cuppa coffee and write my Morning Pages. This morning was no different. All the crafty stuff are pushed to the side and it's quiet time with me, my thought, my deeper self. In the past week I have been writing down transcripts from "The act of Forgiveness, Loving Kindness and Peace" from Jack Kornfield. I finish, as I usually do, with writing down the Loving Kindness Metta Meditation and set the tone for gratitude and compassion for the day.

the state of my desk this morning

Later at work I met a colleague whom is going through chemo therapy from her second encounter with cancer. She was exhausted and was heading for another round of chemo this afternoon. But she was at work for an hour because she wanted to feel she was doing something useful and did some research for an article she wanted to write. I said it was so good to see her again and I was wondering how she was doing. While talking she expressed her guilt for not being able to work in full again and being sick for nearly 2 years. That she feels like a fraud for wearing a wig to fool everyone that she is doing okay.

Gosh, that really struck me to my core! I've recognized that the outward sense-of-self and inner(deeper)self are both struggling to find some steady ground, because she has been shaken to her core in dealing with this disease and recovery from it.

I told her "There is nothing you need to feel guilty about, you are doing what you can and you are still in your healing process!"  She said "but I can't help feeling this way, the guilt and feeling like a fraud" - and I felt it with her, her pain, her guilt, her helplessness.  I let that resonate with me.
Then I looked her in the eyes and said "You look great, your hair looks so natural it doesn't look like a wig at all! And it's okay to wear one if it makes you feel better, because that is what matters most. I understand this is not an easy road but you should credit yourself for doing what you can in these trying circumstances."

And for a glimpse I saw light in her eyes and in that moment, seeing her beyond her outward created self and struggling inner self, there was a connection between human beings acknowledging that the struggle is real, but it is okay. That within our struggle, we find our deeper selves, and connect to one another beyond what is seen. We connect to what is felt within our core.

Compassion quote

This is an excerpt from Jack Kornfield's book and it expresses a Buddhist prayer in gratitude for the suffering they have been given. To understand and acknowledge that suffering is a part of life is one of the hardest tasks we as human beings have. Once we do we will find within it a deeper understanding and gratitude for life which leads to compassion and solidarity for your fellow human being. Yesterday I have shared a story about suffering and a card design that came from it on my art blog. A more personal story will follow here, but I wanted to say that this card's sentiment could be sent to anyone whom needs to hear those words and heal.

I am grateful to have encountered my colleague in that narrow time frame at work today and I hope our encounter will ignite the truth within her as it resonated within me.

Namasté,
Cheetarah

PS: Sharing this friends over at Julia's blog for WOYWW this week.  Thank you all for the visit to my new blog.