Walter and I have a relationship that has been building over the past year.
We would often ride the elevator together,
but usually he would keep his eyes straight ahead
He is quite a bit shorter than me, so I really could
not see his expression- but he seemed pre-occupied- anxious to get out of the building.
It took several months before Walter really even acknowledged my existence on those rides.
He is British and seemed a bit reserved,
So I didn’t press
I gave him his space. I smiled, even told him how nice his coat looked one time
Little by little, he thawed.
A sniff here and a snuffle there- I knew we were starting to communicate.
But today-
Today something very special happened.
Today, Walter stopped, looked at me with those big brown eyes
and put his paw out for me to shake.
I was speechless.
I was thrilled
I was honored.
For a second I had the impulse to curtsy
Walter moved way beyond his comfort zone and reached out to me
It made me want to go and make someone else feel special.
May I shake your hand?
It would be my honor.
So today....reach out
- not in that business sort of way we have to make connections-
Really reach out
Stretch if you have to meet someone more than halfway
If you have drawn tight boundaries around yourself,
you can erase the chalk lines-
If Walter can do it, so can we!And that’s poetiquejustis.
