I saw something as I was driving down the street last week that brought a tear to my eye.
An elderly couple was walking down the sidewalk. She was using a walker, but she still faltered as she moved along. Her husband/partner, although diminished in health too, was close by her side, with a hand on her elbow to steady her. It touched my heart to see what care and concern they were showing. I wondered how they must have shown that same care and concern throughout their lives together.
Now I am not a crier. It takes a lot to make me cry. I have endured many traumas and tragedies in my lifetime, but I have taken them all in stride.It seems that such things bring out the courage and determination needed to handle the situation. Some people cry at the drop of a hat. The slightest bit of bad news can send them into hysterics. They probably use the same courage and determination, too, once they are done crying.
I can't cry on demand, either. I like to do little skits in the local variety show every summer. If I had to cry in one of the scenes, like they do in the movies, the director would have to get a stand-in for that part.
I'll tell you what does bring a tear to my eye, though. It's an act of tenderness, like the scene I just told you. I choke up when I see gray-haired, out-of-shape veterans marching in front of a parade with their heads and the American flag held high. A melancholy teardrop may form in my eye to see a young mother kiss her toddler's boo boo when he/she scrapes her/his knee
But, I can be truly sad without shedding a tear. And, what saddens me the most at this time of year, when we celebrate our nation's independence from the tyranny of Great Britain is to see how far we have strayed from the principles that made us a great nation.
Whatever our differences may have been throughout the ages, we all believed the same about what we thought was the right and wrong thing to do. We had, basically, one moral code--and most of us strove to abide by it. If someone disagreed with our opinion, we could still remain friends--or neighbors--or family.
Times have changed. Morals have changed. Differences of opinion can bring hostility and alienation. It appears to me that governmental regulations on business; mandates on social issues; and permissive policies on citizenship are moving us into the tyranny from which we escaped. When election time comes, we look at the other party as enemies and use whatever means necessary to defeat them. The more we espouse the notion of unity, the more we are being torn apart.
Now that is something to cry about. Or, maybe, that is something to pray about.
Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or send a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com
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