Self- Self is a beautiful thing.

Many people ask me in dismay “you travel by yourself?”

as though “yourself” is a despicable, ugly, loathed word, thing.

The word yourself can be taken apart to be “you R self”. To be able to to love yourself, you must know and understand self. Oftentimes we learn about ourselves by being in relationship with others…but only when you courageously spend time with yourself are you able to process who you are, in relation to your environment and community.

No. We are NEVER by ourself. The world is deeply connected at its core, we all have the same human anatomy, heart, brain, organs, desires…

to be loved, accepted, appreciated, known.

No. We are NEVER alone. Truly. I am deeply aware of my existence as a meaningful connection to those I meet.

As I travel, somewhere in time and location, I cross paths with another who is journeying as well. Our paths merge, or cross, but we were meant to meet. Some people call it an accident, I call it divine appointment. Some people are just delighted to find a friend, I see our souls commune, abstraction of spirits that words cannot suffice to explain.

We are not lovers, but when I look purposely into your eyes, gray, brown, blue, green, black- I am met with revelations of our common humanity.

If we could stop long enough in our busy lives to look deep into anothers’ eyes…we grasp and grip the essence of compassion lodged in a part of our heart for another being. Time becomes irrelevant. Plans fade. Agenda dissolves like tablets of nothing. Money, we could give it all. We would stop all mockery of the poor, the weak, the laughable beings of our current society. We would stoop low with the abandoned, we would wash the wounds of dying souls.

We would bravely smile back without a defensive heart. We would cease to protect self in fear, but boldly love the vastly different, the outcasts, we would treat others with dignity even if they no longer deserve it.

We all need a second chance, to mend our story, our past.