The People We Meet

Are there moments in nature when you stop and take notice?  For me, it's hummingbirds and rainbows.  Both seem so delicate and elusive.  One moment they are present and are seen; the next moment they are gone and but a memory.  They have a place in our world.  They inspire us, allow us to stand in awe, and take in their beauty.

In some cultures, hummingbirds are seen as messengers from ancestors or gods.  Others experience hummingbirds as healers or bringers of love, good luck and joy.

Rainbows are a symbol of hope: a promise of better times to come.  As COVID-19 spread throughout Europe in March, rainbows began appearing on people's balconies and in windows: children's drawings... reminding us of hope and better times ahead.

 

What do you gather from your encounters?

 

As I reflect on the meanings that I -- or my culture -- place on people and other aspects of our world, I wonder.... Why?

Rather than standing in awe and experiencing the beauty of another person, it seems that I immediately catalogue what I see... hear... or experience.  I take that moment and filter it by the Standards and Definitions I have learned or accepted.

 

What do you hold onto or release?

While this may be seen as defining us as Human - separating us from other animals, I wonder... is there more?

For instance:

• When do I question my definitions and the meanings attached?
• Am I willing to consider another viewpoint?
• Can I let go of what separates us... and return to Awe and Beauty?
  

When do you experience the newness
and freshness of relationships?

The moment of waking from a night's slumber is a daily reminder that a new day is beginning.  Our relationships also can awaken from the slumber of not noticing.  There is a delicateness -- an elusiveness -- to some relationships.  Through dialogue, we can rediscover the freshness in what we thought we knew and reclaim the newness of what actually is.

When we step away from the definitions and meanings that have filtered our relationships, we can stand again in the awe and beauty of the people we meet.  Rather than disappearing and becoming a memory, we can build on the relationships we desire.

May you be blessed with the labors of your discoveries this week.  And may you reclaim newness and freshness in your relationships.
 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

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