Mercy

I relate 100% to this notion of mercy and try my utmost to practice it whether that is sharing meals and listening with unhoused people or being kind to everyone I meet in every encounter even the gruffest folks (often they need kindness more than we know). A thought of mercy was when I was in Poland March 2013 after performing in a Storytelling Festival; I became very ill with a severe flu. I was too sick to fly home. I was staying with the Storyteller at his home, but there was no heat other than a very small wood stove and a blizzard. Another person staying stayed up all night feeding the woodstove and the Storyteller insisted I sleep closest to the fire. This was many layers of mercy. What helps me practice mercy is to always pause and say: This is a person in need of grace and kindness. They are hurting enough. And I might ask myself: how would I hope someone would treat me in a similar situation?