Mother Theresa

My wise and sometimes way too on point husband paraphrased Mother Theresa this morning, as he was pontificating on life and relationships and why we are who we are and why we do what we do...and what he said was this:

Mother Theresa was with someone who was struck by how she connected with everyone she met, regardless of how well she knew them or what she knew of them, she was able to connect with them at a personal level.  When this person asked her about it, she said something to the effect of  "If you spend your time making judgments, you are not spending time loving.  I'd rather spend my time loving."

This struck a chord with me as I've recently been coming to terms with a lot of realities about who I am and what makes me really tick, and I've realized that making those connections, even with people I barely know or don't know at all, is incredibly important.  I have never paid a great deal of attention to the life and works of Mother Theresa, but I was so moved by a quote a friend posted on her birthday, almost a year ago, that I asked him to email it to me, so I wouldn't lose it.  After the conversation with Michael this morning, I felt the need to go retrieve that email and re-visit the message that resounded so strongly with me.

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it.”

Now, when I was 18, I took on a challenge through a Y program very dear to my spirit...and part of that challenge involved choosing an "ideal".  A person whose life I wished to emulate...and the people I chose at that time were people who were not famous, they were 2 women in my life who I respected and cared about and about whom I thought very highly...and I still feel that way about them, however, I think it's time for me to spend a little more time thinking about Mother Theresa and what I can learn from this woman.  Her legacy on this earth was something to really emulate...beyond her work with the sick and the poor, the ability she had to really connect with people, to try to stay positive and kind while completing her life's work...THAT is what I want to be my legacy.