My friend who is nearly 80 years old lost her companion Sunday afternoon.
They'd been living together for several years and helping each other through the days.
Like any couple, they sometimes argued.
My friend has diabetes, vision problems and a bad back. She gets shots in her back and shots in her eyes and gives herself shots of insulin.
Her companion was even older. He had bladder cancer and lost his bladder to be replaced with a bag. He lost his hearing. He lost his vision. And his joints were giving him problems. He couldn't keep food down and didn't like to eat. He was always in a great deal of pain, but continued to do so many things for my friend.
He was an artist, as is she, and a welder. He welded a picnic table where my friend, my husband, and I ate dinner last night. He made her a stand for a hammock. He planted a huge garden (much bigger than mine) for her.
He built her bird houses because she loves watching birds.
And so many other things.
On Sunday they argued. My friend was upset because he only wanted to smoke cigarettes and didn't want to eat anything. So they argued. She said some harsh things to him and he went outside and shot himself to death in the head.
And now my friend blames herself. All day yesterday she kept begging God for forgiveness. Kept begging her companion for forgiveness. Kept calling herself horrible names.
I feel for her. I feel compassion. I understand.
But. I also keep telling her to stop talking bad to herself. Because when she is beating herself up, she is beating up my friend. But she is fixated.
She believes she is responsible for his death. She isn't. He made up his mind and nothing anybody said would have changed it.
I want her to have as much compassion for herself as everyone has for her.
It's a long road, though.
So many people have come to visit and call her and are showing her the compassion she cannot yet show herself.
This got me thinking about companionship and compassion. I have always had a great deal of compassion toward strangers, but very little toward myself.
My dad used to tell me I needed to have as much compassion for myself as I did for strangers.
I understand his frustration.
This week, the writing prompt is about compassion. Think about when someone has shown you compassion or when you've been compassionate toward someone else.
What were the circumstances? Was the compassion deserved? Should there have been more or less of it?
So many creatures, in my opinion, are deserving of compassion. From the beggars in the street to animals suffering from abuse or neglect.
What about ourselves? Do we show ourselves enough compassion?
What about our enemies. Do or enemies deserve compassion?
The rules are simple.
Write about compassion
Write 100% original content
Write at least 600 words
Tag me @JonicaBradley
Have fun
I feel I should apologize for the lateness of this prompt, but I know already you will all forgive me. You are all very compassionate!
A quick note:
I am attempting to create a community for these prompts and their responses. Until I'm able to do so, tagging me seems to be the easiest way to keep them together. But on the best of days, I might miss reading many stories and articles.
This week in particular, I will miss your articles. Thank you for understanding.
I am just going through writing exercise number 7, that is, on this topic.
I was very surprised by your publication and it was one of those expressions of astonishment that we make when we read something unexpected, I am very sorry for the decision that your friend made when he took his life but in those conditions I do not judge him and I think I feel compassion for him, also for his friend who was his partner for feeling guilty.
I hope that from that moment until this day that I am writing about it his mourning is healed.
Your idea about compassion reminded me of an experience I had years ago but I keep it in my heart as fresh as if it were today, many times it helps me to move forward in life. Thank you.