Tolerant

Today I am grateful for friends I trust and who listen. I am also grateful for the ways in which Darcy and I connect and communicate.

Today's word is tolerant. Accepting. Open. Willing. For me, being tolerant has to start with myself. I have been more intolerant to myself than anyone else over the years. Can you relate? The work I do in daily recovery from alcoholism, and my efforts to live gratefully help a great deal in making me more tolerant of myself and the world around me.

But it must extend beyond me. Am I open to different opinions and ideas? Am I open to hearing from someone I don't especially agree with or feel comfortable with? Am I willing to let go of preconceived notions and see what happens?

Our society needs more tolerance, our world needs it. There is so much fear feeding the intolerance and hatred. What are we so afraid of? We are all human and we have more in common than we don't.

Acts of kindness, or at least simple acceptance and quiet, can go a long way to soothing what ails humankind.

This seems to be a fitting quote to consider:

"I swear I will not dishonor my soul with hatred, but offer myself humbly as a 

guardian of nature, as a healer of misery, as a messenger of wonder,

as an architect of peace."

Diane Ackerman

I will try to do my part today to soothe and tolerate. Will you join me?