Who You Are

Hello from my heart to yours.....

"When people show you who they are, believe them... the first time."    

                                                                       Maya Angelou

I really have a problem remembering this... .  I trust people instantly... why shouldn't I? For the most part, people are inherently good... right? and even if they have a momentary lapse of insanity, it doesn't mean that they are always going to behave that way... or does it? 

We are told to have faith in people... hope in people... but how do we regain the trust we have in people when they have shown us who they really are in a negative sense? How do we once again believe that "it'll never happen again" or "I was stressed out...those horrific words were not intended for you really" .. or when they lay on that catholic guilt by saying "why can't you just forgive me, as God would do, and let's pick up where we left off.."   Oh, I don't know... I'm thinking, "maybe because you hurt me, disrespected me, broke my heart... yeah.. well, I do forgive you, however, I do not believe that God wants me to forget..." 

Matthew 6:15 says, “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”  Well, God has the ability to not recall the sins He has forgiven of us, if He remembered, we'd be in a lot of trouble I think... If we repent, He forgives us and it's done.... unfortunately, we humans can’t always do that.. I believe that remembering a wrong does not necessarily mean we have not forgiven it. Forgiveness is an action, not just in the mind... to forgive means to not let our actions be RE-actions to the actions against us... and that in itself is very hard because our memories are even better when we have been wronged by someone... anyway, since love is an action, too, not a feeling, we need to act accordingly.. feelings happen... it's what we do with those feelings that concerns God... 

I never claim to be like Mother Teresa... and I am sure I have shown people the "other side of the cloudofpeace", but never unprovoked ... I am a non-confrontationalist... if I need to move away from a relationship, well.. that's what I do.. I may offer a little bit of an explanation, but I don't really feel that I have to... many times, offering a "reason", only ends up hurting the other person or provoking an argument whereby, many "ugly" things are said... it's just nicer to say, "Thank you..it's been real... but it's done..." .. I don't know.. seems cruel I suppose, but I am okay with someone saying that to me... I mean, why on earth would I want to be with someone who doesn't want to be with me? ... sure, it hurts... but "letting go" is part of loving....

Okay so.. I had to "let one go" .. one of my people, who I have known since childhood... isn't the first one and probably won't be the last one, but none-the-less.. one of my people are gone... deleted from the blessings (at their request) and blocked on facebook (at mine) ... oh well, that's the way it is with life.. some of the most beautiful days come completely by chance, but even those days eventually have their sunsets... 

It seems strange to write such a negative blessing... I think it's actually making me sick to my stomach this early in the morning... so, I am letting it go... regardless of what they think, I would like to say, with all sincerity, to all those who are no longer in my life, as Mahatma Gandhi said, "There are no good-byes, wherever you'll be, you'll be in heart" ...

Now.... where was I? People showing us who they are... yes, while I started with the negative side of that, let's switch to the positive side, which is what I always like to emphasize... There are people whose lights shine so brightly that they can warm a room with just their smile... there are those who walk by you and they smell as if they have been to heaven..... there are those who look you in the eye when you meet them for the first time and you see the love in their hearts instantly.... and there are those, believe it or not, that you exchange written words with on Facebook, and your heart delights in recognizing yourself in them.... yeah, crazy... but when my kindred sister, "Karen", writes "I love you" on my wall... I totally believe she does.. and boy, do I love her, too.... heck, even here... when I get an email from "Carol", a woman I once bought some beads from, who then later, knitted some fabulous socks for me, I just melt... she shows me who she is and all the goodness in her heart without asking anything in return...  

So.. let me sum it up already... This is my heartfelt wish to you all.... May you be able to show everyone who you really are... the blessed people you are... show everyone all the love you have in your heart... the first time.. and the second time... and the third time... and always... and may you be able to recognize when people are showing you who they really are... positively or negatively... so that you can "act" accordingly... and by all means... hang on to those who show you God ... there are actually more of them, than of the ones we have to let go of... and by all means, always show one another how loved beyond measure we all are... 

We are cherished blessings to the world.... may your day be blessed with an abundance of love in action... 

With love,

Elena