Thursday, June 29, 2006

Light up your friends' lives...and your own.

Treat your friends as you do your pictures, and place them in their best light.

Jennie Jerome Churchill1854-1921, Mother of Winston Churchill

[This is Owen the hippo who became attached to the tortoise (or is it a turtle?) after his mother died. You have probably all seen these pictures rolling around the internet. I would be glad to give credit to the photographer, but I don't know who it is. Just want you to know that I am not claiming the glory here.]

When you think about your friends, do you hold them in their best light?

The Society of Friends (or Quakers) use the term "hold in the Light" when they pray. I believe that when we think about our friends with love, we pray for them. When we see them in their best light, we pray for them.

If I get short tempered or irritable with a friend, I try to remember what I love about him or her. It doesn't always make my irritability go away, but it sometimes stops me from saying something stupid that I will regret. Then if I need to say something difficult, I can hold them in my heart with highest regard and use the tone of voice that presumes the outcome I want--understanding...compassion...forgiveness.

Those closest to me will tell you that I don't always succeed, but I try.

May your words be Light to your friends...then notice how wonderful they look in that light.

Wanda Tucker, Coach

3 comments:

jennifer said...

What a dry spell...I am so glad you are back...and I for one will testify that you only hold the light place. Which is why I count you as a beloved friend (and teacher).

Wanda said...

Thank you. I am honored and blessed.

xo

Wanda said...

You know, it amazes me how we are sometimes kinder to people we don't know than we are to the ones we love the most. I am embarrassed to admit that I have done this more times than I can count. Even though I learned to apologized for my sharp tongue, I like it better when I can preempt saying something I will have to apologize for!

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