Genuinely Happy

Meditation.  That was supposed to help.  It was different than praying, it was listening.  She wondered how in the world she was supposed to listen when the inside of her head was a constant conglomeration of conversations, thoughts, just random stuff.

She sat quietly and took a few minutes to try and slow down the chatter.  Then, she closed her eyes and tried to focus on just one thing.  The thing had no meaning or value, it was simply something to focus on.  The discussion she had with a friend the day before popped into her mind, followed by what was she going to fix for supper.  She thought,  this was not much different from praying.  

Trying to remind herself that this was 15 minutes she got to spend with the Master of the Universe, the Almighty Creator, she began again, to focus on that one thing.  The dog barked.  She tried again.

She walked down the sidewalk towards a park bench.  She could see him sitting there, like he was waiting for her.  She set down and he took her hand in his and asked her how she was.  It felt like someone had opened the end of a feather pillow and swung it around in a circle, feathers falling and floating by the thousands.  The words poured from her lips.  She told him about how she worried about her kids.  How she wished she could make things better for them.  Her finances were in a complete shambles and she had no idea how she was going to make it until the next paycheck.  She worried that everyone thought she was a failure and spoke about her behind her back, making herself feel even more miserable.  She told him about the people she knew who were suffering.  They were sick, dying, grieving and there was nothing she could do to make it better.  

She went on and on and he never spoke.  He simply listened and smiled and held her hand.  Suddenly, she stopped talking and grew very quiet.  "Jesus.", she whispered.

"Yes?"

She looked at him, her eyes wide with, she wasn't sure what kind of emotion.  "What about you?" 

"Me?", he asked.

"Yes."

He smiled, "I'm just fine."

"How can that be?", she asked.  "You listen to people all day long!  We gripe and complain and yes, sometimes we give thanks.  Most of the time we remember to do that after we've dodged some kind of bullet.  We dump all of our worries on you and then expect to go about the day forgetting about it.  But we don't, we bring it back to you again and again and still you listen?!?  Don't you ever just get tired of the whole mess?  Don't you just wish we would stop and appreciate what we have?  Don't you want to just ignore us sometimes?!?

He threw his head back and laughed.  "You would be surprised at how many times I have been asked that very question and my answer is always the same.  No.  I love everyone."

"But how?", she asked.  "Some people are just mean and cruel."

"Yes, some are.  But most have a reason for being that way that no one understands.  I understand and that is just one of the reasons I love them.  I am genuinely happy to see everyone I meet."

"Everyone?", she asked.

"Everyone.  I was elated to see you today.  How did that make you feel?"

She shuffled her feet among the patch of leaves that were on the walk and watched them gently turn and lift off on the gentle breeze.  "It felt wonderful."

She turned again to look at him.  This time his eyes had taken on a look of seriousness.  "That my dear, is the universal song of all people.  They too, want to feel wonderful and that feeling, that emotion, that longing of the heart comes from one simple thing.  Knowing they are loved.  Knowing that someone is genuinely happy to see them."

The words slipped deep into her thoughts. "So, just being happy to see everyone I meet would make a difference in their life?"

"Yes, genuinely happy."

She opened her eyes.  Twenty minutes had passed and it felt as if she had been gone somewhere all day.  The best part was she felt genuinely happy,  for the first time,  in a long time.