Sighted

My local senior center invited me to share mindfulness and self-compassion practices on Valentine’s Day for a visually impaired group. I learned some of these people became recently blind, while others possessed varying degrees of sight. Those who have their vision are referred to as “sighted”. 

I cannot imagine the many emotions and states of mind the visually impaired experienced and continue to experience –  the difficulty, loneliness, and isolation when one loses their vision in their golden years. The senior center brings these folks together, knowing they share a common struggle, while being each other’s cheerleader as they navigate this new territory of life.

I was struck by their courage, gentleness, and their acceptance of what is. For days after our time together, I felt immense gratitude for being able to hold space – even for just one hour – for this group of seniors on Valentine’s Day. My gratitude continued to grow throughout this month. I’m very grateful for the people in my life, I’m grateful for the conditions I live in, I’m grateful for the opportunities I have, and more recently, I’m grateful for me with all my imperfections as a human being. 

Gratitude grows and snowballs. I invite you to give this gratitude practice a try. Grab a piece of paper and a writing utensil before you hit play. The entire practice takes less than four minutes.