Be as Kind as a Kitten

I saw this picture this morning and it fit right into the thoughts that I wanted to share. Most of us can't help but smile looking at a kitten watching them play, exploring new objects, chasing their tail or seeing their reflection for the first time in a mirror. They can capture our attention for hours bringing such amusement.

I awoke early again this morning to write in my book then finished watching the Burn Notice final episode ‘Reckoning’ then returned to my book to finish a chapter.

The last paragraph I wrote was powerful to me. It spoke loud and clear. A new life lesson was born.

This series has impacted my life more than the writers, or actors could have ever expected.

God speaks to us through people since He lives in a different realm than we do. Well, He has used Burn Notice to speak to me. Everything in this life seems to have some lesson to learn and Burn Notice is no exception.

The book I'm writing is an extension to the episode ‘Reckoning’. It covers the time after both explosions; the one that took Madeline's life and the one at the Miami Chronicle building, until Michael, Fi, and Charlie are settled in Ireland. However, in my book there are two other main characters, Holly and her infant son. Holly came aboard my version during the last two episodes of the summer season in 2011, long before I even knew what those episodes would be about. Then she became the fifth member of the team in the next episode. She is someone Michael knew since he was under a year old.

The paragraph that impacted me was Strong’s thoughts after speaking with Sam and Jesse when they are first taken into custody by the CIA. They had just told Strong what happened to Michael, Fi, Madeline, Charlie, Holly, and the baby then gave Strong the disk drives that Sam managed to get out of the Chronicle building before it blew. And Jesse telling Strong what it was like before the explosion took the children and two women’s lives that he had grown to love and why he had survived. Here is what I wrote.

After the men were placed back into handcuffs then lead away Strong sat solemnly in his office with the door closed. He thought about what Sam and Jesse told him. He could picture his own mother and wife sitting on the sofa with his kids, all scared to death of the men outside their house not knowing what to do. He could imagine the fear the two women experienced and the fear for the children they so loved. Tears suddenly formed in his eyes. He had made a grave error not trusting Michael to do the right thing. Michael was a man of his word... a man of integrity. He had completed his mission and had sacrificed his life as well as his family and friends to get it accomplished. Strong didn't think he could even do that for the C.I.A. that he loved. Instead he had kept himself out of danger the entire time, staying in the safety of the walls of headquarters in Langley letting other men obey his orders, instead of handling the matter himself. He had made mistake, after mistake, on this op and Michael had paid with his life because of them. Now, how was he going to live with himself in the future? How could he make this right? When a good man dies, there is no way of making it right. Instead, he made a vow to make things better for others in the future.

In the series, Strong placed Michael between a rock and hard place. Strong manipulated him into helping resolve an op that so many people before Michael had failed. It was a win lose situation and Michael was trying to please everyone around him which was unrealistic to expect.

As a result, as far as Strong knew, Michael died. He died trying to successful conclude an op that so many had failed by following his instincts without the C.I.A. to back him up as promised. As a consequence Fi, Madeline and Charlie also died. Strong thought he knew better when he wasn't even in the action. He was so focused on bringing this guy down to bring recognition to himself or who knows why. He abandoned Michael and left him out in the cold because the op didn't go as he had planned. If Strong had shown some kindness towards Michael realizing Michael knew he made a mistake and now wanted to make it right, it might have saved Madeline's life.

These are fictional characters and made up stories but there are lessons to be learned. Our actions, words and thoughts are powerful and have consequences that impact other people's lives and well as ours. No one is perfect in this world. There has only been one, almost 2000 years ago.

We get mad at store clerks, coworkers, friends, and family when all they are doing is the best that they know how. Often we don't know what is going on in their lives, or in their thoughts, but for some reason we expect them to act in a way that we deem appropriate, never realizing someone else is looking at us with the same judgment.

What we say, what we do, the expressions on our face changes the world without us even realizing what we are doing. It is like a snowball rolling down a huge mountain continuing to grow as each year passes from one generation to another. It seems so insignificant but we never look at the long term effect that our words and behavior cause.

For some reason we expect others to be better than we are. We expect them to live their lives just to please us. There is something wrong with this thought process.

Instead we should show kindness to all, regardless if they return the kindness back to us. We should greet everyone with a smile. If we run into a situation that frustrates us, we should look inside to see what's wrong with us, not put the blame on others.

Instead we storm off, drive faster than we should, bark at our coworkers, snap at our spouse or children, or just sit in silence with our faces displaying our unspoken words, spreading anger wherever we go. In the end, we are worse than the person who frustrated us. Their actions were a moment of our day, whereas our actions lasted hours, upon hours, and sometimes days effecting hundreds around us.

People were not placed on this earth to bring us happiness. Instead, we were placed on this earth to spread happiness to others, by being kind, considerate, thoughtful, thankful, loving, gentle, and patient.

We will never know what one act of kindness will do. It will still have an effect a hundred years from now. Every action we do changes the lives of others, even the smallest of things.

One unkind word to our child can change their lives forever and for future generations to come. They will never forget the words we spoke. We won’t remember them but take it from me, they will. Can you imagine what one uplifting word to our child can do? We will never know if we don't say it.

Strong made mistakes but so did Michael. No one is perfect. You aren’t and neither am I. I often wonder how many lives will be lost because of my actions and because I wasn't the person God wanted me to be. I will never know.

I've snapped at innocent people myself because they annoyed me and now I have such regret. I still can see the face of a clerk when I was in my early twenties who was just a few years younger than me. She responded to a question that I asked and I thought she was a complete moron. 'How could anyone be that stupid?', I remember thinking. I didn’t tell her that but I sure was thinking it. My mood changed instantly. But I changed her life that day. I could see it on her face. There was shock and sadness. I can't take back the words I spoke and the expressions on my face. Who did I think I was judging her the way I did? I don't even remember the words I spoke but I bet she remembers them exactly and how she felt inside because of my cruelty. They were just a few unkind words, I didn't go off into a tirade or call her names, but it still had the same impact.

The people that I treated rudely didn't deserve it. It was me who was at fault for not just accepting them the way they were. Just like I want people to accept me the way I am.

If we took our cue from a kitten, so innocent, full of love for all those around them. Smiling, jumping and just enjoying everything they come into contact with, we will change this world. The footprints that we leave will be significant and not in a bad way.

Reflections

This morning my BH awoke then joined me in a room with little white lights glowing and candles flickering seeing me sitting at my computer crying my eyes out wondering what was going on. The mood was festive, peaceful, joyful, but I sat there crying.

“Honey, what’s wrong.” He asked, slightly afraid of what my response might be.

This time of year is often sad for many people as they reflect on the past, or love ones no longer around to share the precious moments of the season with. During this time of year I often have tears after seeing or feeling any number of moments and sometimes I don’t even know why.

But that wasn’t the case this morning.

I awoke earlier with excitement thinking about my new book ‘After the Burn’ and decided that while the house was still quiet I would write some ideas I had been thinking about.

I lit the candles in the room, plugged in the tree lights then started to write.

Soon I discovered that I wasn’t sure of certain events, so I started watching ‘Reckoning’ and typing the words spoken during a few of the scenes to get the answers.

I seldom watch any Burn Notice episode after it first airs by sitting in front of the TV unless I’m watching it with BH. I’d rather watch it on my computer taking screen caps along the way, reflecting on the words spoken and sometimes recording the lines to use later in Tumblr.

I came to the scene with Jesse and Madeline when she asked him why he was still with them after all they had put him through.

After each line that I typed I reflected on the words spoken and those in the previous scenes I had just watched when soon I found myself crying at the thoughts. The writers of these episodes are the best. The words spoken, the expressions of the actors, the mood of the scenes are powerful.

I thoroughly enjoy watching Burn Notice this way. I get so much more out of each episode than many people who just watch it then go on with their lives or turn to another show to watch.

That’s how I handle life now. I take it slower than many people who race around chasing one thing after another. Don’t get me wrong I used to be like that too sometimes. But I also spent many hours just reflecting on different ideas that came to my mind.

Life is not a race. I’m learning that it is an experience. A wonderful experience, if we just look at it differently.

I love my life more now that I’ve slowed down. I enjoy the smallest of things since I can now see them instead of them whizzing by while I chase after things that don’t matter at all.

I write my books that way as well, taking time to reflect on each scene. It’s a slow process but I enjoy every minute of it. It’s almost like I’m living the life of my character. But it’s better, since I can go back and change it whereas in real life we must get it right the first time.

It’s not about how much we fit into our day, but how much we get out of our day.

I may never completely finish a book that I’m writing, especially since they are all sagas or series of the ongoing life of the main character but it doesn’t matter. Since I’m not writing these for money but for my enjoyment, I’m taking it slow.

I will probably be stuck in Burn Noticeville for many, many years to come since there are still too many untold stories to tell about the characters, pictures to capture, and lines to reflect upon.

Reflection is good but it can be harmful. Reflection can make us appreciate everything God has done in our lives. But reflection should never make us feel sorry for ourselves or then we become depressed and miserable.

I sometimes wonder how much I missed before. How many smiles did I miss? How many words spoken by others did I miss? How many people were hurting that I could have comforted if I hadn’t been rushing around?

How many moments of our children’s lives do we miss? They are young for such a short time, but their years are precious. Just sitting watching them, wondering what is going on in their mind as they are discovering something for the first time.

That’s what’s important in this life. Take that which surrounds us and enjoy it to the max. Appreciate every moment since they are precious. We will never get them back.

Life is to be enjoyed no matter our circumstance. It is a more pleasant way to live.

For our lives to be enjoyed, we must be thankful and grateful, with love for all.

Even though I still get upset with the ending of the show, I am so grateful that it happened and I was part of it, if only in the distance.

Life will always disappoint us, but it is better to look at just the blessings that come our way and leave everything else in our past.

We can’t change what has happened but we can take advantage of it instead then use it for our good.

Madeline is gone and Jesse is roaming around some where in Miami. His family is all gone with the exception of Sam. But I’m sure he isn’t sitting feeling sorry himself. Instead he is making a new life from the pieces that are left.

We can learn a lot from the lessons in these shows if only we take time to use them for our advantage.

So now, I’ll pick up my pieces putting my life back together and enjoy today with all that it brings.