It’s my Camino I guess.  A friend informed me of his diagnosis yesterday evening.  It is 95% heartbreak and that can seem downright overwhelming.  But somehow we fight our way to the surface and begin to pick up the pieces of our lives maybe.

What is my role in all this I am continually asking myself.  There is the documentary and people say that I inspire them which is a good thing.  But having face to face encounters with suffering takes thinking on one’s feet in the present moment and lots of energy.   I am learning to be a better listener and to be better at just being present to people in their states.  And it is a balance between listening and yet not getting swamped by negativity and pointing out that pesky 5%.

What is that 5% really and why is it important?   I am feeling it is hope.  Hope that things will work out one way or another.  There is always room for it.   And one needs it to foster a rock solid belief that they are bigger than this situation.  Yes, that is good.  But then again it is not all something that one can accomplish on one’s own.  Being bigger means that one recognizes that they are small in and of themselves.  Small is not a bad thing it just is.  What makes us big is our connections.

Sorry, I guess I am thinking out loud here.  Not everything that I just think of is ready for prime time.  But nevertheless this is a good track.  This is a good line of thought because we all have times when we have to deal with suffering face to face.  How do we tend to that friend who is standing in front of us trying to deal with that dreaded diagnosis.

OK, well that’s all a bit heavy.  Let’s not leave each other is a dark mood.  Ah, it is a beautiful day outside, a gift to us.  And we have today no matter how many days the doctor has given us, that’s important.  Love in the 5%, Felipe.