Today I was walking along wondering why we struggle to receive a compliment when a man yelled down to me that I have a beautiful smile. I said, "Thank you," and he replied, "Thank your parents," and that sent me into a wonderful reverie about my parents. It also allowed me to understand the expansiveness of who we are and what we share.
Yesterday, someone said they struggle to receive a compliment. Today allowed me to feel how clearly a compliment is not "personal" but is an expansion of shared joy.
I woke not feeling particularly well, and then, I continued pushing along, until I realized I really didn't feel well and came home and slept, and now I feel part of the world again. It's rare that I don't feel well, and I wasn't really sure what to do with "it", until I settled on acceptance and sleep. Maybe all I needed was some integration time. It seems these days that life enters deeply and I need to pause and let the pieces find their place to be within a whole that is more than I am often able to see.