My Teachers

There is a wise old saying…an ancient Chinese gem: When three people walk together my teacher is among them. We had a simple dinner with some friends and the first thing I was taught was if you listen but a little…you’re bound to learn a lot.. I learned a lot about sadness sadness that our basic foundation seems destined to destroy… I learned if we are ever to survive that sadnesses we must discover joy. I learned a lot about how the sadness of a natural disaster, of divorce of sickness of wars that never seem to end can be offset by the joy that floats around a table filled with family and friends. I learned in the midst of a sad world there is more joy than one might think as I watched the laughter, support and wisdom of people sharing food and drink. As luck would have it other friends came into the restaurant It was like a holiday! They were celebrating their 5th grandchild… born earlier that day. I learned although weakness can come from sadness, meant to injure, to bruise…to annoy our courage, our determination…our strength comes from our faith, our love…our joy. I learned this simple lesson which I will from this day forward now employ…. I shall not close my eyes to sadness but I shall open them more…to joy… Any ancient Chinese scholar sitting in that restaurant would have smiled… It would have been easy for he…or she…to see there was more than one teacher in that room that night… In truth…they were surrounding me.