1 easy practice for a happier life
The difference between people who are happy and those who suffer is simple: the former believe that everything is serendipity and that even hardships are an opportunity for delight.
I was walking along the riverfront on my way to meet friends for a music festival. As a matter of habit, I always take the long way to get anywhere. If I find free parking within three miles of an event, I am walking. A good walk is a great joy and it gives me the opportunity to observe the world in detail. I notice stones, I notice birds, I notice the way the wind plays with my hair as I move through it. I would never trade a long walk for convenient parking. Not ever.
This particular walk took place on a hot, sunny day. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead and lower back. I sipped a cold iced tea. Inching closer to the festival, I felt a sharp sting in my foot. I figured that something must have fallen into my shoe. Bending to examine my foot, I found the source of my pain: a blister.
This delighted me.
Here I am walking alone, carrying very little, and suddenly in need. I have been given the privilege to find a stranger and ask for help. There is no better way to connect with someone than to put yourself at their mercy for a simple favor. And any time I get to connect with someone, I know I am playing a part in the magic of life. Surveying the area, I found a man about my age carrying a backpack. He appeared to be prepared for anything. I gleefully walked toward him.
“Hi, excuse me! I noticed your backpack. You wouldn’t happen to have a Band-Aid in there, would you?” He thought for a moment and frowned, “I don’t, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” I smiled warmly, “Yes, oh, I’m fine! I just started to develop a blister on my foot.” He winced, then felt around in his bag and said, “Here, I have some water. Would you like to use it? Would that help?”
It was midday, ninety-plus degrees, the sun unclouded in the sky. This man was about to share his water — something so vital in this weather — with me, a stranger. The world is good. People are good. And, in the brief moment of our interaction, my resourceful mind found its own solution. I had a napkin in my purse that I absentmindedly picked up with my iced tea order. Together, we could solve this problem.
I thanked him profusely, sending an even greater, silent thanks to the energy that connects all of us — man, woman, bird, tree, river, sky. Life. Vitality. Love. The will to survive. The desire to thrive.
Blisters hurt, but they are such a wonderful reminder. Blisters form because some material repeatedly rubbed our skin. In and of itself, a blister is a reminder of our connectedness: connection between body and material. The only appropriate response is to invite someone else to help me find a solution. This life is an adventure best shared.
Even further, blisters remind me to be present with the sensations of the moment. I hardly notice the way my shoe rubs my foot until it does so enough times that my broken skin must command my presence. What else have I ignored? Where am I metaphorically bleeding?
I never caught the stranger’s name. We headed in opposite directions toward whatever life had in store for us next. But, for a moment, our streams converged and we were able to share in the magic of making do, the joy of being in need, and the exquisite privilege of working together toward a common aim.
Thanks to the kindness and ingenuity of a stranger, my blister is healing and my heart is full. I sure hope this forms a scar. Ah, but that’s an essay for another day.
