Loving Kindness

I was in Lancaster, Pennsylvania yesterday with my in-laws, and a bunch of us went sledding on the slope behind the house. They had some three feet of snow, so trudging back up the slope was a challenge at first. However, after each run down the slope, the way back up became easier because we used the same trail to return to the top, and over time, the snow was tamped down.

One time, after the trail was well-worn, and going was easy, it became a metaphor for how we do this for each other, as human beings. We blaze trails, or we follow trails steadily that others have laid down, and eventually, the way becomes easier, for us, and for those who come after us.

I have been contemplating legacy, after the passing of my spiritual teacher this past summer. Though he left few earthly belongings behind, the legacy of his love, care, and example are enormous and continue to unfold.
If I veiw my life through the lens of what will be left after I'm gone, for my family, for my friends, for my community, it brings everything into sharper focus. An ancient Native American practice is to consider each action for its impact on seven generations forward. When seen in this light, I want to make my life a light, like the Buddha instructed.

Watching the Olympics this weekend, I can see easily how as each athlete follows their own dreams, they not only lay tracks for the next athlete in the next generation, but they also leave tracks for us, to become inspired, to pursue what it is that we feel we are here to do. And I am not talking about achievement. I'm talking about stepping into the destiny that is ours, whether it is to be a great athlete, a caring friend, a loving mother, a politician, an arranger of flowers, a business woman, etc.

The collective tracks that we lay begin with the personal tracks that we lay in every day choices. Each step matters. Each point of connection with another human being matters. As we focus on connection and love, these are the tracks that are laid down. As we focus on the legacy of each action, and we allow our perspective to lift, those steps matter.

The benefit of some reflection on legacy is that you can see that what we leave in the world is not status or achievement or things. It is love, and love only. Love is the only thing that matters at all.

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Love someone today. Love them with your eyes, love them with your smile. Love them with a card. Or love them with a short note via email. Connect, love. It is the only thing that matters. Get out of your own way, and love someone. In that love, you become a light, and the world becomes just that much brighter.

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Happy Valentines, one day later,
Cynthia