I don’t know what’s going on with me, but ever since I turned fifty-five or so, I cry a lot! Every Friday night we take Emerson for the night and one of our traditions, way back when Em was even 1 and 2, is we watch a movie. In fact, I hate to admit this, but I was the one who took Emerson to her first movie. (Sorry Cassie and Devon! I still feel bad about that! Well, not really! It was awesome!) Rule number one of grandparenting: “Don’t steal the parents firsts!” But in this situation, I just couldn’t help myself! You see the new version of the movie “Dumbo” was playing in the theaters and I was super excited about it. I had seen the old one when I was a kid, and I just couldn’t wait to show the new one to Emerson. So, Devon and Cassie asked me to babysit one afternoon, and I couldn’t wait to say yes. As soon as they were out the door, Em and I headed to the movie theater. During the movie, at one of the more touching parts, I started to cry, of course. And as a tear trickled down my cheek, my sweet little Emerson took my hand and held it for the rest of the movie! Every once in a while, she would look over at me and pat my shoulder in sympathy. When we came home from the movie, Mom and Dad asked Em how the movie was, and she said it was “super sad!” “Papa cried through the whole movie!”
One of our Friday night rituals with Emerson is to get out the popcorn and watch a movie and as we’re watching, both Cyndy and Emerson still watch me out of the corner of their eye to see if “Papa is crying.” To be honest with you, I usually am! Those Disney movies bring out the tears! Cyndy and Emerson often chuckle at their “Pops,” but to be honest with you Emerson isn’t exactly right as to what causes the tears. I don’t tear up because a movie is sad, I cry because I am witnessing an amazing act of love or compassion. It’s loving kindness that moves me to tears!
There is something about witnessing or reading or doing an act of pure, unbounded love, which moves me! It just fills my heart to overflowing! Give me a weeklong mission trip and I’m ready to go for another year! Give me a chance to sing a couple of songs at a care center and I’m good for a week!
This summer our church is a happening place. Not only do we have the Madrone school every day, but we also have the Peddle Heads Bike Camp in our parking lot! Yesterday I went outside to take in the sun for a bit, and I found myself mesmerized by all these children learning how to ride a bike! They try so hard! And as I watched two siblings working together, I was reminded of one of my favorite family memories.
My youngest son, Wes (maybe five at the time) was just learning how to ride his bike. It was summertime, Cyndy and I were working at the church, and Ben and Cassie (8th and 6th grade) were kind of in charge of the home front. As Cyndy and I headed home we wondered just what we were going to encounter as we entered the house. Would Sam and Wes (our two youngest) be fighting over Nintendo? Would Cassie have slammed the door shut to her room in anger at something Ben said? We were expecting the worst! But when we turned onto our street there before us was a sight that still brings tears to my eyes and hope to my heart: Ben, Cassie, and yes, even Sam, were all out in the front yard and they were all helping Wes learn how to ride his bike! Ben had the front handlebars. Cassie had a hold on the bike seat. And Sam was shouting out encouragement while he sprinted to keep up. Suddenly Ben said, “When we count to three, we’re going to let go! You can do this Wes!” And they all counted to three and let go and our little Wes almost looked like he could have taken flight like the kids in ET! And while Wes was flying down the road…all three of his siblings were cheering! What a day! Even Cyndy, my Swedish stoic, was crying that time!
I know we “Christians” tend to belittle science. But I happen to love it. And in recent years science has proved something that I think I’ve always known: That the practice of empathy not only grows your heart two sizes bigger, but it actually grows your brain!
Do me a favor this summer. Take some time to watch for moments of empathy in your midst. And if you get a chance to take a picture of it, or write a little note about it, send it to me! In fact, I now carry a journal with me just in case! And if you can’t seem to see any kindness out there…how about making someone cry with a random act of kindness of your own!
Your friend and pastor, convinced that empathy and kindness are what makes the world go round, Brook