Airport Musings: Welcoming Neighbors

Waiting at the airport to board a flight provides time to catch up on emails, text friends, read... and observe the nature of A People in Transition.  There is always a vast array of people to watch: adults with children struggling to catch up; older couples dressed up, representing a bygone era of more formal travel attire; younger people in relaxed clothing, displaying the changes in our world; people carrying a variety of baggage.  People in transition... moving from one location to another... all in a frenetically-controlled state of motion.

How we approach these moments speaks to our patience and flexibility as well as our  ability to endure unexpected changes, cancellations, and disruptions.  A people in transition... moving... changing... arriving.

As I mused on these colorful scenes, I recalled a friend's advice and a question posed recently: Take Care of Yourself and Who is Neighbor?  I wondered: what is the best way to reach a balance between self-care and identifying others as neighbors?  Is it through:  Cooperation?  Understanding?  Listening?  Hearing?  Maybe we are called to lighten the 'baggage' we carry and create a state of Welcome and Acceptance.

Do we offer a 'welcome sign' to others...
that you are accepted and considered a neighbor?
(Etsy:  SIgns of Justice)

Did you know there are many definitions of what it means to be a neighbor?  Here are a few of the more common definitions:

• A person who lives nearby
• One's fellow human being
• A person who shows kindliness or helpfulness toward another

Whether at home with your neighbor or on the road with others, being a neighbor requires reaching out and welcoming, accepting and understanding the transitional life we all lead, and searching for the good... of self and others.

Do we welcome the world with arms outstretched...
or do we have our backs to the possibilities?
(Freedom, by cst, DeviantArt)

Once we release past hurts and misunderstanding -- setting aside the baggage that burdens us -- our hands are available to reach out in a welcoming gesture and embrace.  There are now possibilities for future dialogue and acceptance.  Our relationships begin to soar when we listen and understand the struggles, lessons, and truths of another person.  We begin to rise above and see life differently: People in Transition... connected... moving away from past burdens... and moving toward new places.

Do we leap with open hearts
... welcoming others into the beauty that surrounds us?
(A Gift to Realize:  Freedom)

When was the last time you sat quietly and paid attention:

• To the places you have been and where you want to go?
• To the burdens you carry and the baggage you want to leave behind?
• To the transitions that have inspired you and to those not yet achieved? 

Blessings this new week as you Take Care of Yourself and decide Who is Neighbor?  Both require open arms that are available to embrace and welcome!

Larry Gardepie
Dialogue San Diego Consulting