Through the Eyes of Love

We have a bad drought in California. A drought of rain with too many hot dry days, but also a drought of tolerance and trust, with too many uncompromising people. Our most recent prolonged drought has brought continuing hope for rain as the forecasters eagerly predict it, but it has been persistent in its inability to show up.

I awaken early, usually around 5 a.m., to enjoy the peaceful early mornings. I walk my dog in my pajamas, breathing in the fresh morning air and watching the stars. One such morning I opened the front door and stepped out to feel a precious wet droplet on my face. Beyond the curb I saw multiple drops wetting the asphalt. Raising my face and hands to the sky I uttered a loud joyful whisper to the sky. "YES!"

Hearing a snicker off to one side, I turned to see a young man nearby wearing dark clothing and a hoodie, hands jammed in his pockets. On a normal morning I would have been a little nervous to see him while I was alone in the dark, but he had witnessed my little exclamation of happiness and he shared it. I met his gaze and burst out laughing. Then he did too as together we raised our faces to the wetness coming from above. Without another word we each went our own ways.

This was a good lesson for me in prejudice. Prejudice = pre judge. I normally would have pre-judged this young man, thinking the worst, wondering if he was in a gang or looking to rob someone when in reality he was doing exactly what I was doing - getting out before the crowds and the noise, enjoying the early morning peacefulness and hoping for rain. For all I knew he was walking home from a third-shift job, or going to visit his sick grandma.

It brought home to me the reminder which I am always telling others - watch our world through the eyes of love. Do NOT see with the eyes of fear. We had a moment - a little grey terrier, an older lady in PJs, and a young Hispanic male - a moment of shared laughter and the sheer joy of feeling rain after months of heat, dry winds, and dust. And that's what life is all about; finding our common denominators instead of the things that separate us. The vast majority of people - and animals too for that matter - all want the same thing. We want to be safe, to be warm in the cold and sheltered in the rain. We want good food in our bellies with enough to share. We want our children to be safe, healthy, and educated. We want to sleep free of pain and fear. We want to be able to laugh with a stranger in an absurd situation.

As long as we live our lives seeing the world through the eyes of fear, we will see dangerous dogs and deadly gang members and people trying to steal our things or harm us. When we shift our focus to that of love, we will see that everyone is doing the best they can with what they have. Some have been so harmed in the past that they cannot possibly see past their fear and they lash out in anger and hostility. Yes, some people and some animals need to be treated as though they could be a danger. But the vast majority are good. People have good hearts. People want to love others and trust others. We just need to start doing it. Smile at someone who might appear frightening to you. Speak a kind word to an overworked cashier. Show kindness instead of fear and anger. Try watching the world through eyes of Love.

This is what the aliens ask of us. They will come to us when we have matured enough as a species to seek Love first. They will come to us when we no longer view them through eyes of fear. And then we will begin to build a real relationship based on our commonalities, not our differences.

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