If you are in the cohort of people who don’t like dogs, you
might want to just stop reading right now because I am going to wax poetic
about my puppy. I will get around to the
kindred spirits connection in a minute but first, I’d like to think about each
of these beings as individuals. Let’s first
talk about Pope Francis.
I have had heard numerous people over the last few months
remark that they love the Pope. These
are not good Catholics mind you, but people who may or may not even go to
church. There is something about this
man that has captivated them. I have
honestly not paid too much attention until last night when I watched a 60
Minutes segment about his pending visit to the United States. It was a very thoughtful piece about the man
and was done with great respect for who he is and what he represents.
Here’s what struck me the most about the story. They interviewed some of the men who are
charged with protecting him. They showed
him riding through Vatican City in a very snappy white vehicle with a clutch of
dark-clothed men walking next to the car.
Clearly this is the Vatican’s version of the Secret Service. Apparently, Pope Francis does not really pay
attention to their concern and nervousness for his well being. If these men had their druthers, they would
rather he not just walk out into the crowd. This of course is completely
understandable in that they are charged with keeping him safe. But he’s not having it. He is all about the people and being with the
people. In this particular motorcade through the city, he asked them to stop
the car so that he could go and comfort a quadriplegic man who was in the
crowd. One of the men interviewed said
that he really didn’t know how Pope Francis knew that this man was there and
was in need of comfort but he apparently has some highly attuned radar that
tells him that there is someone in need.
Perhaps there is some divine intervention going on. I’d like to think there is.
Okay, now let’s talk about my puppy for a moment. Her name is Smooch and she is aptly named, as
her favorite thing to do with people and dogs is kiss them- immediately. As I observe her learning about the world, I
am struck by her incredibly open and exuberant spirit. She loves everyone! And I mean everyone. When we are out for a walk, she will barrel
up to whoever is coming in our direction and will wag her tail ferociously and
you guessed it, try to give them smooches. She seems to be pretty darn indiscriminant. She puts herself out in the world and fully
expects that she will get back what she has put out- which is love. Of course it will come as no surprise to
anyone reading this that she almost always gets back what she puts out. Who can resist an adorable puppy? Well in my neck of the woods (quite
literally) everyone we have met has fallen under her spell.
Are you starting to see where this is going? Smooch and Pope Francis start from a place of
being openhearted. That’s how they roll.
Of course in the world we live in today many people are fearful much of
the time. They are fearful of bad things
happening. They are fearful of scary people and scary things. They are afraid of weather and airplanes and
mean bosses.
But I have long held the theory that you really do get back
what you put out in the world. When I
walk down the street with a swing in my step and a smile on my face, many of
the people I meet return the smile. When
in my business dealings, I expect the best from people, I almost always get
it.
Imagine a world where we all wake up each morning with an
open-heart and a joyful expectation for what the day might bring? Imagine if we shed the fear that holds us back
and put ourselves out there as loving, worthy people. Who’s in?
