Mercy

Mercy. I have never really thought about it - yes, as a part of the "FAITH, HOPE and LOVE" idea, I have, but as an entity unto itself, I have not really. Mercy. I will repeat it again. MERCY. I suffered a brain haemorrhage, in the fall of 1974. I was on a Gr. 13 Retreat, when the haemorrhage occurred, specifically involved in "reaching out to my other Gr. 13 students", who were not always so "RELIGIOUS". But I was going to make them to be SO!!!!!! BUT, I had a brain haemorrhage, putting my unconscious body in hospital for 8 weeks, in intensive care for 6 weeks, and in hospital for 7 Months. I was an honours student, was First Vice President of the O.C.S.F. - I was going great guns. This happened over 47 years ago. FORTY-SEVEN years ago. I was fortunate enough to have had Fr. Terry Gallagher as the Priest - making it a GOOD affair. He is an amazing person - always so "coming forth" and also a GOOD MAN. I have worked for the MOL, for 29.3 years time. I have married to David Hunter Marc Jorgensen (1986-1991) a good man, working on his PhD in English Literature. He died in 1991 of Multiple Sclerosis - something that he had when we met. I have since married to John Bacher - who has his PhD in History, who is working for the PRESERVATION of AGRICULTURAL LANDS SOCIETY, he has Dyslexia and Asperger's disease. I have lost my UNCLE VINCE and my AUNTIE MONICA, sob. sob. sob. Uncle Vince was only 86 years old, but Auntie Monica was 100 years old - I saw her on the Friday before she died. She kept on saying in her OPENNESS as to "why the LORD GOD" did not take her. I am proud that she reached the age of 100 - it was a milestone - she was also the MOTHER of 7 children, was married to an alcoholic and was an amazing person! Uncle Vince was a "GOOD" MAN - we met for a breakfast for 46.5 years time. He was a social worker, and a LOVING UNCLE he was. We met every 5-7 weeks time for a meal. HE REALLY UNDERSTOOD ME - I LOVED THIS MAN. Did I ever.... (My parents are both dead, my Mother in 2000 and my Dad in 2004 - two greater people I COULD NOT KNOW!!!! After I had had my brain haemorrhage, they have r e a l l y cared for me. My Dad was the only one "working", he was an Electrical Engineer, but my MOTHER was a "caring, loving, and a FACTUAL" person. I learned much about "MERCY" from them!!!!!!!!) Hide full comment

I actually did exactly this when I was with a group of people - one of whom was afraid of spiders and others who were-well thinking the solution might be to kill said spider. I asked what was going on (as I had been a little far when the ruckus started) and I was told. So I asked if they could just please give me a second before they did anything and I looked around - and there of course as the universe would have it was a cup - so I wiped it off as I was unsure how the spider would do if exposed to coffee remants-sort of goofy I realized later but I did not want to inadvertently drown it! and got a napkin and picked it up carefully and put it inside the cup and covered it- then I asked if the person so fearful would like to look at the spider before I took it outside - just so she could see it close and innocent not about to bite her at all- and to my surprise and delight she said yes and she looked at it a bit and so did a few others and then I took it outside -yes talking to it all the way about what I was doing- and I put it outside away from places where people normally trod. I said goodbye and thanked it for the teaching it had given, and wished it a good and happy life. My mother is the one to thank for this as when very young she had told me not to kill a spider walking up the stairs inside our house as it was her friend, and accompanied her daily; I was very young -and my mother a very wise woman. By the way-the day this poem pops up is the anniversary of the date she left this world. Don't you know- mercy sticks around. Never doubt it!-It is, after all -a part of love. Thanks. Hide full comment

At the outset when I read these lines, my mind started working on it. Just as the word gives power to the one showing it and taking power away from the person receiving it - the very word MERCY like any other word that gives power and takes it away seemed very odd and uncomfortable. I am yet to meet a kind person who has said to me, I was merciful or I showed mercy on the poor thing..etc., Yet, it is a powerful word to reflect for sure. In our day to day activities, unbeknownst to us, we get presented with several situations that will call for us to show it - when no body is watching! What is natural to all human hearts is compassion and love. Mercy is a manifestation of those qualities. A personal story that comes to mind is when we were having lunch in the backyard and a kite dropped a lizard it had in its claws I suppose. It fell inches from my daughter. Shining blue scales and amazing creation was helpless and probably as hurt badly. No CPR if possible could probably have saved it. I took the position of an observer to see my compassionate offspring spring into action. In no time, she picked a large leaf, put the ailing lizard on it and moved it to a place where she could rest, not be found and maybe find something to nourish it. We saw it change positions for the next few hours and into the night. Options were many for my daughter, she could have taken the "yuck" route as she was eating her lunch, or just disposed it in the garbage assuming it was dead. however, to give it priority over her lunch and pay full attention with love and care to something that was at a point of no return - I felt was much more than mercy. It did stir something mellow in my heart and gave me a feeling of "All is well for the future, life will be good, kindness has a future." Meditation and self compassion practices help me practice mercy. My practices are all heart based and moves me from thinking to feeling and from feeling to being - being to becoming - becoming love, becoming compassion and kind. Hide full comment

According to my understanding mercy is one the most outstanding spiritual virtues. Mercy is diiferent from fogiveness. When sombody does something wrong to me I forgive that person. I do not counteract and I do not hold onto it. I let go. In mercy I act and and offer my helping hands to help the person with kindness in my heart. Mercy involes forgiveness but it goes byond forgiveness. Mercy has three elements: Paying attention, having empathy, and acting-taking steps to help the person who did somthing wrong. My heart was deeply hurt by somone whom I deeply and passonately loved. She did not show empathy when I was deeply suffering. It was a very painful exprience for me to go through. I needed time to recover and heal. I did not hold on to my pain. I worked on it mindfully. I have let go of my resentment and I am realting to the person who caused pain in me with in a loving and kind way. I feelt peace in me . Showing mercy to onelf and to others heals wounds of oneself and others. Mercy can be cultivated and sustained by emptahy, kindness and compassion and that's how I deal with suffering caused to others by me and by others to me. May we relate to ourselves and others in our life with loving kindness! Jagdish P Dave Hide full comment