This just happened about an hour ago. I'm sharing it here because we've often talked about how the little things we do (or don't do) can make a difference in someone's life...sometimes the difference is small and seemingly insignificant, and the other person may never know the ripple effect she/he has left behind.

I was walking home, steps from my front door, when a friend of my neighbour two doors down came out that friend's front door. The neighbour and I waved to each other. The friend walked toward me. Then as we got closer to each other (I was about to turn into my little sidewalk to unlock my front door), this person got a weird look of fear in her eyes, and scurried off the sidewalk onto the road and scuttled away in pure panic. I took a deep breath, reminded myself that I'm practising the Law of Allowing, and that this had nothing to do with me personally. But when I finally unlocked the door and stepped inside, I just started crying.

I guess I cried for her, for whatever in her life has caused her to have such fear of a stranger (I don't think I LOOKED that strange or threatening...she was taller than me...), but I also cried because deep down, it DID hurt to see her not only ignore me (nobody ignores anyone on our little street) but take such pain to avoid me. It was so unexpected, and it really hurt deep down in my heart.

I'm okay now, I don't need any comforting or anything, I'm able to Allow her to be who she is and not allow her actions to make or break me, but it does bring home just how our actions can have an unknown impact and ripple effect on someone else. Compare the ripple effect of that action to the ripple effect of a simple nod of the head, and/or perhaps a shy hello in passing each other...