21 DECEMBER 2022 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Happy Winter’s Solstice, everyone! I have been looking forward to this day! I do not like getting up in the dark. I do not like the bitter cold. I do not, in fact, like anything about winter. Today; however, I can allow myself to feel joyous because our planet will begin to tilt back towards the sun and back towards summer. Each day will now grow a little longer.

During these dark (and cold!) times, while we await the return of warmer days, it is a good time to acknowledge our feelings. I acknowledge that the bitter winds make me irritable and I acknowledge that I sometimes feel sad. I know the best way to combat my dreary thoughts is to strive to lift up others. We humans are a social species. We need acknowledgement. It lifts us up when others say hello, remembering to call us by our name, or when they flash us a genuine (and totally free) smile. When someone who is speaking to us looks directly into our eyes, and we truly listen to what they are saying, we are acknowledged and validated.

I am generally confined behind the front desk where I work part time at a motel. Most of my coworkers barely look up when I come to work. They are caught up in their own dramas and our brief conversations are generally only to impart necessary information, about guests and rooms. One of the housekeepers; however, has always made a point of saying hello to me every day. Even when I am out of sight in the office, she calls out a greeting to me as she walks through the lobby. She was taken to the hospital a week ago. It is obvious that she has led a rough life, by her raspy voice, her leathery skin, and decaying teeth. She has spent years smoking, drinking, doing drugs, and (by her admission) playing slot machines. She has often confided in me about her troubles and I have always granted her an ear for listening. Her five children are estranged from her and I know that makes her sad; though she recently shared her excitement at finding a dentist who could provide her with false teeth. Her little dog, Scottie, is one of the few precious things in her life now.

I will not judge her by her past – or even her present. I have not walked in her shoes. A couple of weeks ago, I made it a point to tell her how much I appreciate that she acknowledges me and says hello. She has been transferred to the ICU and we do not know if she is going to make it. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to tell her that she matters to me. When we acknowledge others, it lets them know that we matter. If we all knew that we matter and made others aware that they matter, how much closer would we be to healing – not only human society – but our planet as well?