A Silver Lining

by Erica Tywater

Cosette & Erica

I have had the pleasure of meeting many people throughout my lifetime thus far. I have met people with kind souls, people who are strange and beautiful, and people who make you question yourself. Never have learned so much from anyone as I have my current boss today.

My boss wants to be seen as someone who is tough and therefore portrays that to those around her. She is direct and no nonsense and will tell you that these are virtues that she is proud of.

Today she sat my peers and I in a meeting and was very firm with us. She pointed out what she thought we were doing wrong and told us all in no certain terms that it would not be tolerated. She made it a point to let us all know that she was in charge and that failure to abide by her rules would result in disciplinary action.

While in the meeting I grew restless and angry. I struggled against her and was determined to prove her points wrong. I dug my heels in and she did the same.

Our meeting ended and I was left wondering what we had accomplished. What does it mean to be so abrupt and cause people so much stress? Does she mean to hurt others and want them to harbor ill feelings?

The more I thought about her this evening the more I looked at her more closely. While in the meeting I noticed that she had lines that were beginning to deepen on her forehead. The sparkle that she had a few months ago was now replaced by tired, beaten eyes.

She is not happy and she is struggling. It was then that my lesson from her began.

My boss has a softness to her that she doesn't like people to see. She is hurt and licking her wounds. I did not help her today when I tried to prove her wrong. I only added to her pain.

She is a person, as we all are. She is someone's daughter who deserves love and respect. Would I want my daughter treated as I had treated her today?

What I have learned is that sometimes people say things that don't come out as intended but that doesn't make them a bad person. It makes them human. Flaws are what make us beautiful and unique.

It was interesting to see someone's true nature shine through the bleakness and explosiveness of their words. I feel that today I saw my boss' humanity and that made me feel love and compassion for her.

The Buddhists have a practice that they call Loving Kindness. Loving Kindness is where you picture someone and send out feelings and messages of love and good will into the universe for them. So I want to end my lesson that I learned today by sending out thoughts of goodness to my boss.

May you be well. May you be peaceful. May you be happy. May you be held in loving kindness. May success find you at every corner. May you know that you are loved.