To serve each other

It could be said that happiness lies in giving away not only what one has, but also what one seemingly does not have—and then allowing one’s own cup to be filled to the brim with that which, in good faith, one dared to give away, even though it seemed impossible.

In other words, it’s my experience that happiness comes to me when I become something for another that they cannot be for themselves. When I represent something that can fulfill the other’s need and let go of myself, gradually, into a kind of forgetfulness that eventually absorbs me and leaves me with the satisfaction of being something or someone for another.

Strangely though, before we can be something or someone for others, we must first forget who and what we are, in order to become, like the invisible butler, a servant of the people—unseen and seemingly insignificant.

For as we know, most good deeds are done in secret, without much spotlight or thought, and when it comes to all the tragedies and wrongdoings we either get swept up in or notice around us—well, then the criticism rains down, and harsh gazes scrutinize every move we make, as if it were a step toward the very same misdeed.

This seems to be the fate of goodness: that it receives little attention for various reasons, and that it best serves others between the lines and in what remains unsaid. Perhaps that simply tells us that what is truly worth remembering and honoring often appears so simple and straightforward, while the foul stench of all our imperfect sides screams the loudest.

But despite how others may look at us, no soul can take away the victory it is to know that one has served another—or in other words, served Life.