A Testament to the Human Soul

It may be true that only a fellow dog lover
Can truly grasp the pain of another,
When a beloved furry friend moves on
To whatever waits for their souls beyond.

Loved ones, friends, even a casual friend
Can be expected to comfort you in the end.
But I've recently learned an amazing truth,
I had absolutely no vision of in my youth.

For years now I've turned to social media like Twitter and Facebook
To share my passions and let others have a look.
Are they really "friends" in any sense of the word?
Is the question that I constantly heard.

Well, the outpouring of sympathy that I have received from these "friends" that I don't even really know,
Is such a beautiful testament to the goodness contained in many a human soul.

So, thank you to all of you that also mourn for the loss of my beloved dog, Snowy,
And have looked into your own hearts to try to comfort me.
But a special thank you, to all of you out there in cyberspace,
Who are a true reminder of the good we can do without ever seeing each other face to face.

© Sheryl A. Skutelsky, 2012. All rights reserved.

The Golden Rule

I was recently in the company of an old friend
Whose too common attitude could so easily offend.
He was hesitant to buy his residence near my own
Because there were too many people "different" than he had always known.

Funny that I'd just heard from Charles Osgood on radio news
That Dale Carnegie wrote over a hundred years ago to share some very relevant views.
He wrote about a concept considered to be common sense, but not a common act
A thing preached to our parents' parents as the golden rule, in fact.

"Love your neighbor" describes a two-way relationship, friend or stranger
Based on both sides seeing equality, not fear or danger.
Psychologically, this means empathy, not lack of concern
Philosophically, it involves perceiving others as equal in return.

Religion played an integral part in the history of the Golden Rule
Prominent figures and philosophers taught it in school.
This concept appears in many religions, including Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, to name a few
The Golden Rule can be found in some form in almost every ethical and traditional view.

So, why do we keep paying for books over the centuries that keep restating what we already comprehend
And why did my friend still fear moving to an area where people "different" from him represent a barrier he can not transcend?
It still comes down to that same old rule that becomes the key
Each individual has free will, no matter what race, religion, sex, or creed ... we each have a soul yearning to be spiritually free.

© Sheryl A. Skutelsky, 2012. All rights reserved.