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DAVID BENTLEY'S WEEKLY COLUMN |
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THE LONG SEASON
It was a chilly, damp, gray afternoon when I ran into my little friend. He was standing outside his mother's office looking gloomy. I asked how he was doing, and he replied, "Terrible! We're in the long season." Confused, I asked for clarification. "You know," he retorted, "long time, long nights, long johns, and long shots." "Hmmm," I said, "I understand the long nights and the long johns, but you'd better help me out with the other two." In an exasperated tone he said, "It's a long time from Halloween to Christmas, and everything I'm asking Santa for is a long shot." Trying hard to not laugh out loud, and refraining from adding "long suffering" to the lad's list, I simply said, "Yeah; you're right; it is the long season." I asked him how he was going to get through it, and he said he didn't know if he would or not. He was already tired of waiting. He didn't know if he'd been good enough to get the toys he wanted. And, as if that weren't enough to deal with, he was about to leave on a long trip to visit relatives he hardly knew for Thanksgiving. "Well," I said, "I know something that you and I don't have to wait for." "You do?" he asked. "What is it?" "It's hot chocolate," I replied, "and thy have some in that store over there." So with his mother's permission, we each had a steaming mug of cocoa, and somehow the whole world got brighter. Together we moved from the misery of waiting to the joy of the present moment. We left the world of worry and entered the joy of compassion and friendship. When we parted, we hugged in a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving. The long season isn't over yet, but my little friend has given me plenty of gifts to help me make it through.
© 2005 David Bentley David Bentley, M.Ed. & Personal Coach, coaches clients through the game of life, helping them find balance, clarity of direction, and purpose in an ever-changing world. You may contact him at 360.378.8436 by e-mail at david@coachbentley.com or visit his Web site: www.coachbentley.com |
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