You Are The World To Someone

17 Nov

“To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.”  ~ Dr. Seuss

I have known many people throughout my life who have given and given and given of themselves to others.  In the process, many of them have burned out, for lack of a better word.  They got to the point where they felt that there was nothing left inside of themselves to give.  They became jaded or depressed and quit helping others.

I think I know the reason for that.  They burned out because, in the course of caring for so many people, they forgot to take care of a very important person: themselves.

Yes.  We are called to care for others.  However, Jesus also told us to love our neighbors as ourselves.  If we do not care for ourselves, we will not have the strength to care for others.  Desire only carries us so far.  We also need to be able to do things.  Being willing is not enough.  We will not be able if we do not attend to our needs.

We are all just one person but, as Dr. Seuss said, we might be the world to an individual person.  Being so important to individuals, we need to take care of ourselves so that we can do for them what needs to be done, say to them what needs to be said, and be with them when they need us to be by their side.

It is not selfish to take care of oneself.  It is not selfish to take time away for oneself.  It is not selfish to go away on a break from time to time.  Those times help to restore us and keep us feeling as good as we can feel as well as keep us positive about ourselves and about life in general.  That way, we are “good to go” in the service of others.

You are important to others.  Try to be important to yourself and care for yourself as you would so willingly care for others.

FAITH ACTION:  With all that is going on around us, make sure that you take care of yourself today.  Do something nice for yourself.