Child of the Universe

"You are a child of the Universe, no less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the Universe is unfolding as it should."

This excerpt from the poem "Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann always gives me a sense of peace when I am feeling down or hurt by something something someone has said or done. In fact the entire poem makes me feel more serene after I read it.

I think it is the part about having the right to be here that nails it for me. What it says to me is that sometimes when someone has acted out of a call for love rather than from a place of love, we can feel diminished. or confused. This line reminds me that I have just as much right to offer love rather than respond to a call for love. And in that moment I know I can forgive someone who has forgotten that their right to be here also gives them a choice to act from a place of love or a place of fear. I can feel compassion for those who have acted in fear as that is my choice as a child of the universe.

If we understand that we do not always have control over the events of our everyday life, and accept what comes our way, we have understood that the unfolding of the universe gives us opportunity after opportunity to learn from our lessons. Lessons we will continue to receive time and time again until we understand what they are trying to teach us.