To Do or Not to Do

Continuing on a morning walk this summer, I noticed the newspaper wrapped in a plastic bag at the end of a driveway. Tempted to do a random act of kindness and toss it to the inhabitant’s front door, a memory filled my mind. I recalled what my friend had shared with me. While going through chemotherapy for breast cancer, she said that the best part of her day was having the strength to forge to the end of her long driveway to retrieve the morning newspaper. This, she said, was a daily milestone. This, she said, was a daily goal to reach. I was deeply touched by the simplicity of what made her, what makes us, fulfilled when our lives are challenged.

And so, my temptation was replaced with a decision not to touch the newspaper of an unknown recipient in my neighborhood. “Maybe they like getting their paper each morning. Maybe there is a reason why I should not interfere in their routine.” I thought. My walk continued. A mile or more later, my decision was further confirmed when I saw an elderly man struggling…..step by step, left foot meeting the right in a sequence of specific movements, albeit with a jerking of limbs….towards his driveway’s end. Yes, he was en route to retrieve his newspaper. Was this for him a daily accomplishment or an activity he pursued because it was the only way to get the paper he wanted to read over a cup of coffee? I would not know the answer, but I did know that he was succeeding and that the movement was likely good for him.

To do or not to do. This is the question. There are times when we knowingly intervene in someone’s life. When we know the circumstances and our action, our help, is both welcomed and appreciated. Then, there are times when we do not know how our action will be received. We do not know the circumstances of the recipient of our action. What to do, or not to do? I find that following my inner voice is usually the route to take. When I act from my heart, from a place of compassion and inner peace, I trust that my decision to do or not to do…to act or not to act….will best serve the good for all.