When I was about eight years old, there was an empty lot across the street from our house. It held tall grass and a few old, and decrepit crab apple trees. My curiosity sent me over to investigate and just walk around in this lot. I came upon this small bird who, when I got close and tried to touch it, couldn't fly. I quickly went back home and got a shoe box with a lid and found the bird and placed it in the box along with some grass. Before I took it home, I picked up some crab apples off the ground, and with my nails, peeled off a tiny scrap of tough skin and attempted to feed it to the bird...it was hungry, I thought...weak...it must eat. It didn't.
Ultimately, dad and mom let me 'nurse' the bird until it got stronger and then dad and I took it out into the country and I opened the bigger box in which it lived for a couple of weeks, and it flew...flew high...healthy and free.
I've always had a type of connection with living things, especially those living things which were suffering or needed help...I felt a special and tender connection or type of kinship with people and even animals and believe it or not, even to specific plants.
Most times when we think of kin, or kinship, the obvious definition is having a relation between two or more persons that is based on common ancestry or descent. But there is more to the spirit of kinship that is much needed today especially as we enjoy the upcoming holidays.
We all experience the use of kinship for forming social groups. Kinship, and the connections that are fostered through kindness and shared responsibilities to others and to nature around us, reaffirms the bonds of fellowship and stewardship.
We all desire peace, justice, and fairness and these are the engendered by-products of true communion with others and the bonds of kinship we form. We need to strive for a clearer enlightened perspective that we all stand together---in the spirit of true kinship, we belong to each other in a community of commitment and compassion ---not allowing anyone or anything to needlessly hurt or be outside of the circle of care.
In the non-Western culture of Yanomamo, they 'extend' kinship---even to strangers who are included in their matrix system of kinship. Accordingly, to be outside of this kinship circle is to be inhuman or nonhuman: real humans, all humans are considered some sort of kin.
Amid the various gatherings with our friendly or familial associations next week and beyond, let us be mindful of the outstanding interest and support we share with others. The power of fellowship and loving kindness dresses the wounds of loss and pain...Sharing with kindred spirits, our kin, is much more powerful than the apathy and divisiveness that seems easier to mark our daily actions.
We must enbolden our awareness of and realize in our hearts, the precious kinship with all living beings...not just serving those who are blood related, but manifesting a healing connection of hope and commonality with those we see as 'other'...for our collective future as a society depends on this abiding kinship...
For we all have been wounded with a broken wing at some crossroad in our life at which point we anticipate the extension and the existence of a kindred spirit who will lift us up and help us fly again...