"I don't accept the idea that there are two sides to any issue. I think that the middle ground is to be found within most of us." - Krista Tippett
The following story comes from a very special woman who is raising her grandson named Michael, referred to as M in the story below.
Michael has what is referred to as minimal social (and emotional) responses to others as well as difficulty understanding and reacting to social cues which often appears to others as a lack of empathy or adequate social skills.
Yet he has an amazing heart where all of those skills reside, hiding, waiting to come out at the most opportunistic times. As this story will tell you, he offers an example that many of us can learn.
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Tonight after a Parent-Teacher meeting at M's school, I went to a couple of stores to purchase small gifts for our Family Giving Program at work. After helping me make selections for three kids we will never meet; M asked if he could make a purchase of his own.
He used his birthday money to purchase a small stuffed animal toy for a girl in his class at school. She was thrilled to have the gift. Please note that this is a girl he absolutely could not tolerate when she began attending his same school room.
A girl he could not stand because she is SO much like him.
He now takes a similar small animal toy each day to school and the two of them pretend the animals get married. The note above is my absolute most favorite thing.
Please note his stick people are smiling. Smiling people because he found common ground over silly bug eyed beanie boos!
I will be buying the heck outta them for the foreseeable future because common ground is an amazing place to begin a friendship.
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In each of our daily lives, we are simply going to have a first impression of people. Their beliefs, there mannerism, the way they look may simply not be to our liking. But there is always an opportunity for the common ground between us.
Kindness could be where the middle ground is found.
Find the place where agreement can be found and maybe it all starts with having a bit more kindness in our lives. Just maybe it starts with us.
Stay inspired my friends.
