Goodness?? Gracious.

And so it goes on… today I had a lot of time to think and my mind wandered a bit less than usual. A closer look at inner mechanics of mine, those inner workings I developed over time, brought me to yet another realization.

There’s a girl I know. She’s kind and friendly, a model citizen for sure. This young lady planted a tree, a SaniTree if you will; and this SaniTree bore fruits of Kindness, Happiness, and Support all ripe for the picking and readily available. She wasn’t stingy with these fruits and would distribute them to any and all who would ask, sometimes even if they didn’t ask for them. This was all well and good however, there were those who saw she was so caring and giving and they sought to take advantage of her. Some would help themselves to her fruit without her notice or word. It bothered her. It bothered her but not to the point of her speaking out or acting upon it; she rationalized it by saying that she would give it freely anyway. The Lady believed that it was the right thing to do and that by doing it, good would come of it in some way, shape, or form; it was what she was taught, and what she held in her heart of hearts to be true. Poor naive girl. While she had the right idea, she failed to realize that things don’t just happen without action. That was one strike against her, another was that because she spent all her time care-taking others she neglected herself. What’s more, because she had this tree and these fruits readily to give, it made her feel like she deserved a kind of attention. She became entitled. She felt that since all she did was give and be good that someone should notice and appreciate her actions enough to like her as a person. This was a falsehood; IS a falsehood, even. It only stands to reason that her tree would bare less fruit in the coming days.

I admire this Young lady so, it hurt me to see her become this way. She understood that we must be kind and good to our fellow peers and others but she didn’t understand that at the base of her actions, she was expecting a return in the end. She missed Goodness’s ugly truth. When one does something, truly out of the goodness of their heart, just having done it and made someone’s day is enough; an end return isn't needed or requested even subconsciously. Humans are naturally selfish and seek their own self preservation first and help others if they can; that’s just nature. One has to be taught to actually put someone else first genuinely without a bottom line.

It took a while, a long while, but the lady realized the error of her ways; she now gathers seeds from some of the last fruits her withered tree could bear. Determined, she approaches the field of Knowledge and Sacrifice. She plants her seeds and waters them with: Love, Hope, and Good Will. She vows to care for her plant and her peers, and not just to expect special treatment. She smiles beautifully, for in her heart of hearts now dwells a new purpose; a new reason to bear fruit.