it's okay.

i've noticed recently, that all too often, family members (myself included) tend to be too short, curt, rude, and impatient with each other--get this!--when they don't have to be. our habitual reactions to our family members--those who love us when we are less than our ideal selves, or perhaps more accurately, those who love and support us completely, and accept and excuse us, especially when we are exposing the ruthless honest layers of ourselves--are deeply rooted in annoyance, restlessness, and greed. it's okay to have moments of recklessness, but, it's not okay to be mean.

being in washington dc has provided me with a colorful variety of situations in which to observe and cultivate awareness--both internal and social. whether i'm walking through columbia heights, adams morgan or mt pleasant, to riding public transportation and simply waiting in lines at grocery stores, there is no shortage of opportunities for greater learning and appreciation.

just yesterday, i rode the green/yellow line from archives/navy memorial to columbia heights. at some point along the ride, i noticed a family of five, (father, mother, 3 sons) look at the map and then get off at a particular stop, and only seconds later, return on the train and resume the space they had just previously occupied. they inspected the metro stop guide map again and realized that they were going in the wrong direction. instead of blaming one another for going the wrong way, the oldest son said, "it's okay, dad." i deduced that 1. the father had made the directional mistake. 2. that particular family is okay with mistakes, admitting to them, and then easily fixing them. baddabingbaddaboom. EZ.

what struck me about this particular observation was their calm and collected--dare i say CIVIL--demeanor. there was no screaming, no yelling, no blaming, no pointing fingers, no rolling of eyes, or tsk tsking of the tongue, no passive aggressive snide comments, no "i told you's" or vexation. it was a simple mistake--something even locals do!--and the fix was just as simple.

it was a fabulous illustration of how small choices--choosing to be peaceful, choosing to recognize that a small mistake is not worth getting all worked up or angry over--have deeply profound impacts. it was a lovely reminder for me to continue making such consciously peaceful and compassionate--NICE!--choices. i am grateful for the kindness of that little boy's remark. "it's okay..." exactly. it. is. okay.