Mary’s Minute
“Thousands of candles can
be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be
shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
~
Buddha
I love
metaphors, and Buddha’s candle comparison to happiness is a great one. Love, kindness, and happiness are qualities,
not quantities. They can be shared and not
be depleted; in fact, sharing them often makes them grow stronger. Parents who have multiple children, and in
fact anyone (which means everyone) who loves more than one person, understands
that loving one child does not make you love the others less.
I remember
my mom telling that when she and my dad were young parents with just my
brother, Bernie, they didn’t think they should have other children because they
didn’t think they could ever love another child as much as they loved him. Thank goodness, they realized they could in
fact love other children, as I was born 2 years after Bernie, and then 2 years
later Sofie, and 8 years later, our precious, Amy. We all found we had plenty of love for
Amy!
Taking
Buddha’s analogy a step further, I like the idea of striving to be a beam of
light that can shine forth with love, kindness, and happiness. As we shine on others, our light is not
depleted. Pushing the comparison a bit
further, as our light shines and reflects off of others, it creates a glow that
is brighter than just our own light.
I wish
you the light of happiness, kindness, and love, and I urge you to let them
shine on others!
Have
a great week!
Mary
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