Article September 15, 1997 Issue

Loving others heals us

Barbara Beth Whitewater

The cashier was not smiling. She looked harried, frazzled, and sad. As I stood there while she rang up my order, it came to me to say, "You must be having a very busy day." With that, a beautiful smile came to her face, and she cheerfully replied, "Yes, it's been pretty wild in here today." As I walked away with my purchases and she began serving another customer, I could see that her whole demeanor had changed. She looked peaceful and joyful.

As I walked to my car, I was surprised at how good this experience made me feel. I thought I was doing a little, kind thing for someone else. I never expected to feel so blessed by it myself. But, then, love is like that. If you walk into a dark room with someone and turn on the switch, the light shines on you both.

True love means recognizing and celebrating man's—and that means everyone's—eternal, spiritual heritage. When we express kindness to others, we're asserting our divine sonship. We're declaring our divine origin and immortal status as God's child. And when we realize, even to a degree, that God is our Mother and Father, everywhere present to guide us and provide for our every need, we are less prone to the worries and fears that can cloud our thinking and result in sorrow and illness.

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