My path or yours?

I was returning from my walk yesterday morning, when a group of boys crossed my path and jumped a small fence in my neighbor’s front yard to reach the sidewalk before me. I was watching the boys with great intent; it would be more descriptive to say I was glaring at the boys and watching their every step. My son’s snowboard had been stolen from our front porch last month and I was eyeing the boys with great suspicion. With my eyes on their path instead of my own, I tripped over the uneven pavement and catapulted myself into an unpleasant encounter with the sidewalk. As my hand scraped the cement and I felt the stinging sensation of a fresh wound, one of the boys turned around and with great concern asked, “Are you o.k. Ma’am?” I was fine, though red-faced and eating humble pie for judging the boys so harshly.

I sit here in this moment and smile at the thought of how gracious the Universe is with me. I desire nothing more than having a pure heart, a heart that sees others with great love, completely free of judgment. The Universes obliged me with a stinging reminder that I am to keep my eyes on my path and allow others to freely walk their path. A friend told me once, that I could only judge others as harshly as I judge myself. So as I reflect on this, I ask myself, “What am I eyeing with suspicion in my own heart?” “Where do I see that I am up to no good, when I am just out having fun?”

Life is always presenting us with opportunities to become more aware of who we are and how we are showing up in the world. Life is forever unfolding, just as we are. So... I give myself a big hug and allow myself the space and the grace to learn this lesson with renewed love for myself and all that I encounter along my path.
~Colleen Laukka