Elitronic Media

The past week has been an overload in crazy things happening, but I keep finding ways to ground myself in the positive. One of those things that’s helped is Compassion.

Last Saturday, we awoke to smelling natural gas. After two different gas company employees sniffing out the place, one repair, and one attempted repair later it was 6:00 pm, we were exhausted, and we without hot water. I will never forget our neighbor down the street, though.

Our neighbor plays for the KC Symphony and we’ve gotten to know him over the past couple of years we’ve lived here, since we are also musicians. On Saturday, he came out of his house when he saw us sitting again out by the curb while the second gas company employee went in to find the other gas leak. He asked how it was going, and how he could help. He asked how my job was going, and how my significant other was doing with teaching online. He talked to us until they were done with the assessment of the leak.

It may not seem like much, but in the turbulence of having 4 people in your home in one day, when it had been your perfectly bleached and sanitized sanctuary, and dealing with a landlord that was less than friendly, it meant the world to me.

The next day when we left for our walk, we were once again greeted with compassion. Another neighbor called out to us to check in and see what happened the previous day. Upon learning that we had no hot water, she offered to bleach her bathroom and leave the house if we wanted a safe place to shower with hot water. We declined, but were very grateful for the gesture.

A couple days later when I received bad news that I would be on furlough, several people opened their hearts and one even opened their home. I definitely had a few moments where I couldn’t stop crying out of relief. Because of other’s compassion, I knew that that no matter what, I would make it.

I keep thinking about the question “What’s one thing you’ll remember one year from now?” and it’s definitely the compassion other’s have shown me during all of this crazy.