Empathic Ecologist

     I heard the song "Six in the Morning" by the band SHAED for the first time this weekend. It inspired me to write a poem about empathy. I share it as this week's post:  I See the Tear I sit here in the sand  Next to you The sun rises Your face brightens I see the tear Something in me stirs "Hello, my old friend," Pain says to me "I too see the tear." I sit here in the sand A hand within me Reaches out to you Yet someone holds me back "Pain, I see you there, My old friend." "You can't reach out," He says to me "You've been hurt Time after time after time I've seen your tears." I sit here in the sand I choose to move My hand touches your shoulder "Are you ok?" Compassion wakes up I see the light. Copyright 2021. Richard Best.       

As those of you who follow my Youtube Channel will know, yesterday I posted a video titled "Cultivating Your Child's Natural Curiosity" (see link below). In it I talked about the work of Alison Gopnik, internationally recognized leader in the study of child development and learning. Her book, "The Gardener and the Carpenter," has offered me some insight and inspiration for improving my life as a parent of three young children. She compares the role of parents to that of a gardener - i.e. someone who "cultivates" the environment in which we plant our children so that they can thrive and grow up to be healthy adults. That all sounds great, right? So, this cultivation shouldn't be too hard, should it?  *Insert someone's sarcastic cough and a quiet "bullshit" here*       Yeah, right. Being a parent is hard. It is exhausting. It can make you angry. It can bring you to the brink of insanity or the precipice of depression. And i...