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Compassion, hope and encouragement: my choice of travel companions This morning, over a cup of my favourite Assam tea, I sat and looked at the gorgeous autumn colours in the garden.  The sky was grey and there was drizzle in the air but the tree opposite my window glowed.  Its golden leaves lit everything like a beacon.  I began to imagine that it symbolised a person who was full of love and compassion.  When you meet someone like that, it's exactly what they do: glow and light up the space.

It has turned out to be a beautiful train of thought, because I have started to think of all the people I know who glow like this.  There are quite a few.  One I remember from my childhood.  Whenever she met my sister and me in the town where we grew up, she would bathe us in her glow of love and compassion.  She always had encouraging things to say, a cuddle and a gift; there was always a gift. What I remember though is her glow.  It came from within and bathed us all so that even now, decades later, I feel its warmth.  It is a touching memory. Wouldn't it be wonderful to glow like that?  To feel deep love and compassion first for yourself and then for everything around you.  That's what she had, I'm sure of it, a loving compassion for herself which simply spread.  I know others who radiate the same.  I'm grateful for their presence in my life and for the memory of some of them this morning.

Compassion for myself, cutting myself some slack, has been my 'theme' this past week and I've been horrible to live with as I try to take my less than compassionate self on board!  The gorgeous autumn trees and the people they symbolise have reminded me it is simply about love.

I'm going to save hope and encouragement for a future post.  My yoga mat calls.