Tolerance

It is interesting how hurtful we can sometimes be to others without even realizing the impact we are having. Yesterday, I was having lunch with very close relatives, and they were both elderly. The man is suffering from Parkinson's disease, but it is under control with medication. While he paid the bill for lunch, his wife told me that people sometimes make fun of him and laugh at him because he has a hard time swallowing.

I don't think that she understood that many people laugh when they are uncomfortable with something. My mother died of Alzheimer's disease and my father died of Parkinson's disease. Both of these are very destructive diseases.

Today, many families will have to go through this with their parents. Being a caregiver can be a stressful and lonely job. Having one of these diseases or cancer or one of the many other diseases that are prevelant today, takes a great deal of support. You don't have to go it alone. I hope as a society we can all become a little more tolerant, loving, and supportive to those who are going through these dark nights.

Machik Labdron says, "In other traditions demons are expelled externally. But in my tradition demons are accepted with compassion." If demons can be treated with compassion and tolerance, perhaps we can learn to treat are elderly and sick with more tolerance and compassion.