On Being Open...

Life can be so unpredictable. In fact, I rather like it that way! I am aware that with all of the uncertainty on Wall Street, this is not the best time to make such an acknowlegment, or is it? I'll admit that the turns in life that bring unexpected joys and pleasures are easier to embrace. Yet, I have found that the difficult ones, if accepted with trust and patience, can have an even greater impact for good. As a young girl , my mother taught me "All things work for the good for those who love God". That passage [Romans8:28] was a favorite of hers and has since become one of mine. How grateful I am that she lived out her love of that verse. If it had simply been a hopeful sentiment, it would never have become a legacy for me and the next generations. She really did believe, deep in her heart, that it was true. As a daughter, I reaped the benefits of her faith in that promise!

One of the characteristics of being a human person , a woman in particular, is the ability we have to be open or not. Open to the spiritual side of life, open to thoughts and ideas, open to people and their needs, open to experiences and circumstances and open to embracing fully who we were created to become. Have you ever opened a tool box? [I try at all costs not to go there!] If you were unfamiliar with the items, how could you possibly figure out which was the right tool? If someone wasn't there to help, you had to look at its exterior to figure out its purpose. With this rather slipshod analogy, I propose that as women, we were made to be open. This is not my own idea, but some of the most obvious facts can become obscured, if we are not careful! I must admit that I have heard some absurd and illogical ideas come out of the mouths of so-called "brilliant" people. It isn't too difficult for this to occur. If we get too puffed up with our egos, we can miss the simple truth, beauty and goodness found all around us. Creation bears the imprint of the One who created everything. I am always amazed at how children can often articulate a profound truth with utter simplicity!

I remember growing up in the turbulent 60's and 70's. At the height of radical feminism, I recall some women opining that if women were in charge of the world, there would be no more war. That memory came back to me as I was watching the news over the past couple of weeks. On a theoretical level, I was intrigued by the supposition. Women are, after all , open and receptive by nature. We tend to care deeply and empathize with the sufferings of others. We are often intuitive and nurturing, we watch body language and we listen to others with our minds and our hearts. To my utter amazement I could not believe the sardonic discourse between various women on both sides of the political aisles! I was dismayed by the lack of respectful dialogue and the apparent inability to be open to the other persons perspective. My initial thought was "well, I guess there WOULD still be war if women were in charge". Then I quickly asked myself do I react any better...sadly, I realized, not really! Ofcourse, I couldn't leave it at that. I realized that this apparent failure in these women on television and in my own heated conversations did not reflect the truth of who we, as women, were created to become.

I suddenly had an epiphany! If we, as women, acted from our genuinely feminine nature; we would cease to be contentious and belittling of others. As I reflected on this realization, I found that it had to begin with those closest to me and grow from there. If I can remember that being open to another means that I value them as a person, that they deserve to be listened to and spoken to with respect. This can and should be done with our feminine dispositions aiding us. We do not have to agree with the other person, but they are a person no matter how repugnant we may find their opinions. With prayer and time for thoughtful deliberation we can grow to be more open to others, more understanding and all the while with great femininty and refinement we can lead others along the path of civility!