Detachment is a gift that never quits.
Detachment is not being a victim any more. Some say there are no victims, only volunteers. When I first heard that phrase, I was mystified. How could a person who suffered at the hands of another be considered a volunteer? But volunteers, we are. Lest you misunderstand, I don’t want to suggest that there are no culprits in this world. However, how we perceive those people who mistreat us is our choice. We can see those who are mean-spirited, or worse, as fearful, angry people who are looking for acceptance, even love, in the only way they know how. We don’t have to stay in their presence. Nor do we have to approve of their actions. But we can seek to understand them and move on.
We are moving along this path to master the lessons we have come here to learn, and those who travel with us, as our compatriots as well as our adversaries, are fulfilling their designated roles too. That’s not easy to fathom if what we experience is unpleasant, but each of us is playing a part in the drama. To not take the actions of others as intentionally hurtful is the best of all lessons.
Detaching from what we are experiencing is a possibility. Always. Detaching from the drama of any one else frees us to not only be a better witness to our own life, but to serve as the kind of witness we need to be to the lives of others. Our role is never to be victim. It’s never to be the victimizer. It’s to be an interested observer and a kind responder if that’s what the situation calls for.
Life is often in turmoil. For friends and for strangers. One thing we can surely do is refrain from adding to the turmoil of any one else’s life. Pause before speaking. That will help. Pray when a prayer is needed. And let the business of others be theirs to handle. When ours surfaces, handle it and only it.
Detachment. What a sweet concept. It allows each one of us to live the life we have been invited to live. Nothing more and nothing less.
What a glorious day today can be if I remember my experiences are part of my necessary learning curve. And detachment will surely be one opportunity, among many, that I can embrace today.
