Much of my kindness Awareness Examen this week was consoling with moments of joy, delight, connection, curiosity, affirmation, etc. Early in the week words like “clinging, futility, sadness, helplessness” flagged into my awareness. Then Paula D’Arcy’s contemplative observation on “clinging” in Richard Rohr’s mediation today cracked the walnut of my loving kindness’ experiences. Way back in my growing up years, being kind was expected. It was the way of the ethnic group I belong to survived. Be kind. Work hard. So what is being revealed this week is that my well established “clinging” of my happiness program prevents me from seeing reality as it is. My kindness program is being liberated propelling me into a joy in the deepest of my inner most being that is pure gift. Last weekend I order too much Chinese food. So I began knocking on doors in my apartment block. The first was a young Muslim family. So I paused for a chat about their food preparations, which meant they could not accept this food. The next was a middle-aged jolly kind of man who hesitated because he had nothing to give me in return. I kept stressing: “it is free, I just over ordered.” So- kindness is a free gift with a smile!
