Frivolous Play

"Never, ever, confuse listening with agreement."

Diane Musho Hamilton

Sitting at the table, I first believed I had misheard what was said. Then I started following the conversation a bit more closely, and there were statements being made that made my heart cringe. Surely these people were joking! I felt frozen in place, hoping my horror was not written all over my face.

Witnessing my words angerly lining up in my brain, I literally bit my tongue so that I would not speak. Being controversial would not change these crazy beliefs. I chose to maintain eye contact but glanced at others as well. My guide within said, "Choose your battles wisely, and this is not one."

There was a time I would have thought being still would be disrespectful to myself. I had spent too many years being silenced! However, I now realized that I could learn from this conversation without exchange. Eventually, I discreetly excused myself and decompressed at the kids table with frivolous play!

Painful Lines of Truth

With time, we come to understand 

that simply being present to each other 

is our most basic moral obligation.

Diane Musho Hamilton
Everything Is Workable 

We really need to hear ourselves speak our truth out loud.  When our words are spewed into the distance between our lips and a listener's heart, we can discern if we are building a story from our own perspective or if we are following the painful lines of truth.  

The listener, a silent witness, displays compassion with a willingness to gently hold the raw emotions until they can be transitioned into calm.  There is no need to struggle for appropriate responses like quoted scripture or memorized verse. Just be present in the moment with constant eye contact as it is a definite sign of undivided attention. A few silent  gestures encourage the sharing to continue.

Listening can be one of the greatest gifts of the world.  Even when we are not in agreement with what is being said, it is important to hold the space open with love.  By listening to each other with compassion, and really hearing what is being said, we move closer to peace.