It’s been a tense week here in DC – in the news and in the house – as my furloughed husband putters around unable to work for the people; our family income literally held hostage to dysfunctional leadership.
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
As tempting as it is to withhold genuine “good morning” wishes for the people on my morning walk who have the wrong bumper sticker or have the wrong sign in their yard, I choose to hold to my commitment to speak to the good in others.
Yes, I’m angry and no one would blame me for letting my anger out at them by keeping my eyes ahead and my lips shut. To make matters worse, I’m aware that their noisy anger and my compassionate silence is, in part, exacerbating this public debate as those hurt by furloughs and lack of services choose not to fight anger with anger.
But I’ve never seen anger dispel anger, only conquer it briefly until it flares up, rejuvenated. I’ve only seen compassion and love dispel anger, allowing the fire to burn out in it’s own time and way, starved of fuel to build.
So I take a deep breath, release my anger and smile a warm “good morning” to everyone on my walk, regardless of their bumper sticker, yard sign, clothes or skin color.
It’s all I can do, so I do it.
How about you? How can you help starve the anger of its fuel?
