Warmth of the Heart

“I say to myself that I shall try to make my life like an open fireplace, so that people may be warmed and cheered by it and so go out themselves to warm and cheer.”

—George Matthew Adams

I do not like the cold of the winter or to be cold period. Constantly shivering and being frozen. My toes turn weird colors, my hands turn to ice, and my joints get tight. When I was younger, I loved the cold and it wasn’t unusual for me to walk around the house in shorts and a t-shirt when it was 20 degrees outside. Because of the radiation treatments I went through at a young age, my body temperature was always warmer compared to most and I tended to exude heat. My friend actually used to call me radioBeth because whenever she hugged me, whatever temperature it was outside, I was warm. I was like my own little furnace. However with time, the radiation has left my body and I find myself easily getting cold. Unlike my younger self, I layer up in warm clothes, drink lots of tea, and enjoy snuggling under a comfy blanket.

So for Christmas, my mom got me a super cozy knit blanket from Ireland. It’s nothing fancy, just a simple cream-colored throw with green shamrocks along the edge. Our plan is to go to Ireland when my mom retires but with COVID, that trip might be postponed for now but she thought a blanket from there might be a nice surprise. Well let me tell you, this blanket is so incredibly warm! It’s crazy how a blanket with holes in it can trap so much heat. There have been times when I actually have to move the blanket because I’m too hot. It’s like I’m a kid again and not always freezing.

The blanket along with keeping me nice and toasty, reminds me of the warmth of childhood and having a childlike perspective on life. There are so many differing opinions and such anger in the world today. People trying to understand everything and getting irritated when they don’t get what they want. Sometimes I think the best thing we can do is to take a step back and try to look at the world through a child’s perspective. Instead of over examining and trying to control everything, simply live and take a look from a child’s point of view.

“See the world with the innocence of children.
Approach the world with the daring of children.
Love the world with the readiness of children.
Heal the world with the purity of children.
Change the world with the wisdom of children.”

-Neale Donald Walsch