Spirituality and Compassion

For me, the word "spirituality" means learning from our experiences. It's not about striving for ultimate perfection or achieving Nirvana or Samahdi. Spirituality is something much more concrete. It starts with compassion for self, forgiving oneself for real or imagined transgressions but then allowing oneself to learn and grow from the experience.

I had an experience today that gave me pause: somehow it fit the season. I was at Target getting chai at the in-house Starbuck's, when I sensed a man staring at me. I was annoyed. I wanted to say something rude like, "Take a picture it will last longer," but I refrained and glanced back at the man instead. I realized then that his mouth hung open slightly and his eyes were unfocused. I also realized that he was "special." I felt like a bitch for judging him and noted my own reactions.

I moment later, I turned and saw that he had fallen sideways in his chair and was sliding towards the floor. The man near him caught him and lowered him gently to the ground. I realized he was having a seizure and with a strange calm, I told the man next to him to help me roll him to a fetal position. Then I called the Barista to help and the three of us managed to move him. I was no longer needed but I was moved to watch the man who had helped me to turn the seized man stop to cradle the other man in his lap. The Barista also held and talked to him. Neither man panicked, or shied away, they just handled the situation with compassion and love.

I still am not sure what all I was meant to learn but I walked away, greatly impacted. What I did take from the experience was a renewed appreciation for the compassion humanity sometimes displays and the strong sense that we can never judge others by their packaging.