I was exploring one of my favorite little private coves at low tide the other day. As I approached the shoreline, I noticed all these anemones half-buried in the sand. If you weren't looking, you'd step right on them. How many times had I stepped on them? They didn't come from nowhere. Had they been buried more fully before?
It got me thinking about people. And how there is so much under the surface that we don't see. Past hurts, current anxieties. All we see is the person cutting us off in traffic. Or the one seemingly oblivious to our personal space in the supermarket. Or the one spewing unkind words at us or someone we love.
When you step on an anemone, it squirts at you. I always apologize and am more careful. People don't always have that early warning sign. So maybe we should be a little more careful in the first place. We don't know what's going on with people. But we do know that everyone could use more love and gentleness. So let's start with that and see what happens.