Monday, June 18, 2007

How much do you care?


When I think about my childhood, I think about how cool it was to be a child of the 80s. (All you 80s kids know what I am talking about.) I find it hard to believe that teens today have not experienced leg warmers, socks with dress shoes, parachute pants, MC Hammer pants, big hair, perms and mullets (yes I had one). They will never get to experience wearing tight rolled jeans with boat shoes or penny loafer without socks. They never had the cabbage patch craze or collect garbage pail kids trading cards. I think 80s had some pretty amazing toys. There were so many awesome dolls and stuffed animals. There was the Strawberry Shortcake crew, Rainbow Brite, and Jem. One f my favorites though was the Care Bears. I had the yellow one, I think it was called “Sunshine.”

When I look back and think about that stuffed animal, I think it’s kinda funny how they were called “Care Bears.” Because I don’t recall caring any more or less just by having the animal. I don’t recall caring any more or less about my family or friends. I think it’s kinda funny too how often we throw that word around and don’t really follow through with what it truly means. I am reading a book called “3 Seconds” by Les Parrott. In it he talks about how vicariously we toss around the word “care,” when we don’t even realize the greek translation of the word means to be sad. That means when you truly care about someone you are sad when they are sad. He goes on the express that in actuality “caring” for a person is so much deeper than mere words we say. “It’s a kind of compassion that allows all of us … to enter the world of another and feel what they feel.”

So next time you tell someone “take care,” remember what you are saying. Remember you are saying you feel their joys and their pains. I believe that’s what people are so desperately seeking … someone who cares. The saying goes people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. I believe life is about people and in order to connect with people you have to show you care. And I am not talking and the fuzzy furry kind of caring either. I mean the genuine “I am hurting with you,” kind of caring.
P.S. Gary, I wrote this last night but I could not post it until this morning because I care so much about my roommate and wanted to help her ... lol

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This is great info to know.