Gentle the Word of the Week

Gentle - mild (kind, compassionate, merciful, calm, tranquil), meek (humility, opposed to pride, arrogance), soft, bland, not rough, harsh or severe; as in gentle nature, temper or disposition; a gentle manner, gentle voice


Alisha kept reaching for me as I sobbed. Slowly her clenched hand found me, despite cerebral palsy always pushing its way front and center. No, it couldn't stop her from gradually going where she was needed. Entirely absorbed in my brokenness, I didn't notice her attempts to soothe me. My friend, Jacky, did though. Jacky sat across from me also offering a soft ear to the raging pain I was in. Kodey, my son, had been ripped from my life weeks earlier. I sat in Jacky's office at Arbor Hospice desperate to find my way out of the nightmare I was in.

"I'm just watching Alisha as you're describing your pain, Stacey. She just has this tender concern for you," she mentioned.

I glanced to the left, through a haze of tears, remembering my Alisha sat next to me in her wheelchair. She's so quiet at times, you can forget she's with you. Her hand hung in mid air caught between reaching me and being restrained by a force outside her will. Her fingers slowly opening to settle on my shoulder. I could barely feel her touch.

I was so dominated by my pain that I hadn't even noticed her compassion. Gentle, so soft, such mercy. Unaware of her gentle touch didn't prevent its medicinal soothing salve. Healing was beginning before I could recognize it.

Many years have gone by since that day in Jacky's office. Alisha's gentle touch, gentle voice have been present through many other heartaches. Sometimes I catch a glimpse of her gentle practice and other times I miss the soft whisper of healing. Either way gentle does what its called to do.

What unexpected soothing, mercy have you been given and didn’t recognize it at the time?


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