LISTENING

I love to hear the birds singing when I first wake up and on my walk through the park.  We now have a bird building a nest in our bird house and last year it remained unoccupied all year.  I use to wonder why.  Also saw my first red robin today always a cheerful sight.  As I type early this morning I can hear Kim’s alarm going off and it is an irritating sound so it would make me get up that is for sure. 

This is the group of young people who won the same award as Kim.  They are all busy hard working students who took time to listen to the needs of others.  Both dad and I had trouble hearing the speeches because of the poor quality of the sound and they where speaking quickly.  I also had trouble hearing at the round table we were sitting at because of all the noise around and I was in between two groups who knew each other.  It was a joy just to be there and hear all the happy young voices.

So different than my visit with Jim he was in a very bad mood.  He tells me he hates being there and hates all the other people because he looks down on them.  I tried to help him have some positive thoughts but he was not listening.  He was too angry and miserable and I was annoyed at him thinking he is better than the other dear souls who are trying to make the best of things.

Jesus told his listener to listen with complete attention to his words.  "Let those who have ears hear."

According to Kierkegaard the ear is the most spiritually determined of the senses.  Today I appears that seeing has become more important and affects our way of looking at others and can determine how we feel about ourselves.  It takes a mature person to hear in the silence. 

Listening means giving our whole attention to what another is say, not having to feel the need to "fix" their problems but just to listen.

Compassion is the art of listening so that the person expressing their pain and suffering knows that someone has been present and really heard what they were saying.  Yes, we are all vulnerable in some ways that reveal our weaknesses and powerlessness.

On my walk I met another lady I had not seen for awhile.  We usually just smile and say hello.  This day she tells me I look like I am walking better and that is very affirming.

Compassion is hearing the real emotions behind the words, the deeper meaning.

Then there are the humor when we hear wrong as in the story of the little boy who doing his math would say: "Two plus five, that son of a bitch is seven."  His mother found out that the teacher was really saying:  The sum of which is seven."

I wish I had written down all the funny things my children said.  You think you will remember but you do not.  Today I will try to be a good listener but I refuse to listen to hate or to gossip.