Photo by Mark Nethercote
“We‘re all just walking each other home.” ~ Ram Dass
I read this quote from Ram Dass and it stopped me in my tracks. It reminded me that we are here to be of service to one another. All we’re ever really trying to do is make life a little bit easier, a little happier for someone else. And we do this in all sorts of ways – through friendships and romantic relationships, community service, teaching, new products and services, and art that inspires and intrigues. And it’s all part of the same journey – one destination, a fulfilling life, and many paths to get there.
We’re all on our way home. We may be on different timelines, with different stops along the way, but we’re all part of one another’s adventures. It’s an honor to bring other people into our lives and have them take us into theirs. The only questions we really have to answer at the end of every day is this: did I make this day worthwhile, for me and for others? Did I help someone travel a bit lighter, get a bit further, and smile wider than they would have without me?
That’s what I’m doing here – for my students, my friends, and all of the people I have the extraordinary privilege to interact with every day. It’s a gift to be with them, and I treat every moment with that same belief. We’re just encouraging one another as we make our way forward.
Sort of like the extended family concept – and the butterfly effect – taking one step more – everything we do affects everything else in the universe – our own little circle of the world, and the larger global one. Really nice post, Christa.
And let’s not forget all of the people teaching us the hard lessons about ourselves – the ones we want to lock up and kill until we come to understand ourselves better. They are so valuable and have such a hard road in helping.