Be A Light To Others

“Look at this window.  It is nothing but a hole in the wall but because of it the whole room is full of light.  So when the faculties are empty, the heart is full of light.”

-Chuang Tzu

 

On weekends, and any other day we do not have to work, my wife shuts all the doors to all the rooms in the upstairs of my home and if she could she would duct tape all the blinds against the windows.  Why does she do this?  Her goal is to minimize any morning sunlight that might enter our bedroom.  Why do I put up with this insanity?  I do it because I have been married to this woman for almost 42 years and it is easier and safer to just let her be.  When I finally get out of the bed I open all the doors and blinds so light fills the house.  Another reason I open all the blinds is that I like to see the outdoors and feel some sense of connection to it.  I hate when I am in a work related meeting in a room that has no windows.  In a metaphorical sense we are all windows to one another.  The only part of the work day I truly enjoy is my interactions with those people who bring light into my life.  They may do it through their pleasant personalities, their laughter, their smiles, their morning greetings when I arrive at work, or their willingness to listen to me when I am throwing a hissy fit about something.  Be a light to those around you.  There is plenty of darkness in the world and there are plenty of people who drive other people crazy.  Don’t be someone who brings darkness to another person’s life or who drives other people crazy.  One way or another all of us will be gone from here sooner or later.  I hope when I retire next year I am remembered as a person of light and for all my best human qualities and not just because I was great with numbers.