MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023 AESOP FABLES - THE LION AND THE MOUSE

 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023 AESOP FABLES - THE LION AND THE MOUSE

I will be writing about Aesop's Fables this week and their relationship to today.  I picked the Lion and the Mouse today as it is a tale of love for Valentine’s Day

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 “Once when a Lion was asleep a little Mouse began running up and down upon him. This soon awakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon the Mouse and opened his big jaws to swallow him.”

““Pardon, O King,” cried the little Mouse, “forgive me this time, I shall never forget it: and I may be able to do you a favor in the future.” The Lion was so taken at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him, that he let him go.

“Some time after, the Lion was caught in a trap, and the hunters tied him to a tree. Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight of the Lion, went up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts. “Was I not right?” said the little Mouse.

Moral: Kindness is never wasted.

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So what might that have to do with Valentine’s Day - and love?

Being kind (or nice) is an act of love.  

Matthew 25:40 “The surprised followers ask when they did these things for Him, and Jesus replies, “The King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. '

The lion did a good act of kindness towards the mouse, and later the mouse saved the lion’s life.  

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There are millions of acts of kindness every day.  Holding the door for somebody in a wheelchair (or a walker), picking up trash in a parking lot and throwing it away, and even down to the simple act of smiling and saying “hi”.  

Kindness should be an automatic part of all that we do.  We can say “Thank you” to the clerk, (and mean it), or we can offer a compliment “You look nice in that outfit”.  Last week I went to my dental cleaning and I commented “Your hair looks so nice”.  (First, it was true, second I wouldn’t say “Your hair looks awful”; and third it was an act of kindness (which is an act of love).

Recently when I was online, a friend said “Do something nice for somebody today”.  That stuck in my brain.  What could I do that was nice, kind, friendly, and loving?  There is always something you can say.  My cousin has been a mentor to a group of high school students.  She has given her time and talents to encourage them and be a role model for them.  Isn’t that how we should act?

A parallel concept is the “Golden Rule”.  Do to others as you would have them do to you.  I gave my dental hygienist a little hug.  Sure, she gets paid for cleaning my teeth.  I also told her (it was meant as a compliment “You are so efficient”.  She gets to work, notices what is new and different, and keeps my teeth in good shape.

I’ve also learned to overlook some acts of negativity.  I haven’t walked a mile in somebody else's shoes, I don’t understand where they have been and what’s on their mind.  A friend had to “put down her elderly dog” a few weeks back.  The lady is also elderly and the dog has been her companion for years.  I tried to understand the angst she was feeling.  Maybe my comments didn’t help her directly, but I needed to show kindness and love to her.  Maybe somebody is carrying the weight of the world and needs a smile.  

Somebody comments “we all have problems” -health, money, relationships, job, whatever.  Nobody has a perfect life.  We can all be like the lion - generous when generosity is not expected, and like the mouse - remembering the kindness and repaying it.

Pay it forward.  Love one another!!

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

KAREN ANNE WHITE, © FEBRUARY 13, 2023