From April Terry’s Post, “The Hope Exchange”

I thought this week’s post by April said something really important about one of our simple, spiritual practices we call “noticing”…so I wanted to post part of it here on the Ordinary Attempts page as a reminder that noticing is a transformational practice, both for us and those we notice.  Read the whole article by clicking on the link in the byline.

“Imagine living in a place (a nursing home) where you are ignored or not understood.  People assume that you don’t think because you can’t communicate, but imagine that once a month a group of people come along and they look down into your eyes and they notice you.  They notice that you are in there still thinking, still understanding in whatever capacity that you are able.  They notice it and in noticing, they are giving you hope that it could happen again.  Suddenly, those fifteen minutes become so much more important than the icecream social that you enjoyed the day before.  Love doesn’t come by shoving a cup of ice cream into someone’s hands.  It comes from the spirit.

Our ministry (to seniors) isn’t anything special other than that we are there and that we notice.  In noticing, we are more aware of what’s going on inside the eyes of those we greet.  Anyone can do the music, the prayer, and the message, but not everyone notices.  Not everyone makes that exchange that gives hope to those who thought they were invisible.  We humans need each other.  We need to be needed and noticed.

If you haven’t noticed anyone in a long time, then you have been asleep.  You have allowed unimportant trivial matters to rob you of one of life’s greatest secrets.  You have the hope that others need, but you have to take notice first.  You have to look into the eyes, see the soul, and make the exchange.  No one can do it for you, and if you aren’t doing it, you are missing out on one of life’s beautiful and unique mysteries.”