There Are No Words - Katie

          A few evenings ago, I walked by a panhandler, cup in hand, asking for change, hardly an unusual occurrence in New York City. As I passed him by, I turned around and did what I frequently do in these situations. We made eye contact and I said not tonight, but I hope you have a good evening. A few yards away I hailed a cab and was struggling to close the heavy van door when the panhandler ran up to help and closed it for me. He smiled and waved as we drove away. A silent message of thanks, I suppose, for acknowledging his presence.

          It got me thinking about human connection and the universal language we all share. I was reminded of an early morning a few months ago with my 2-year old grandson, Shiloh. We have our little morning rituals, he and I, one of which is to simultaneously say, "Good morning to the day," as I pull up his bedroom shade. On this particular April morning NYC was in the midst of an unseasonable snowstorm. Shiloh stood in his crib and for a moment stared at the swirling, dancing, fluffy snow, and then he began to laugh - down to his toes, taken by surprise, a pint-size bundle of mirth. I couldn't help but be drawn in, to see what he saw, a bit of heaven on earth.

          This July most of us have been riveted by the plight of the Thai Wild Boar soccer team, twelve boys and their coach caught deep in a cave when the rains came. Their plight became our plight. Countries and individuals sent help, expertise and money. We could understand their fear, we prayed in every language and religion for their survival against impossible odds. One brave diver lost his life and many more continued to risk theirs until the end, when one of the Thai Navy Seals wrote, "We are not sure if this is a miracle, a science, or what. All the thirteen Wild Boars are now out of the cave." I imagine a collective, planet-wide sigh of relief. In a world at odds with itself, there were no sides to choose and no discussion to be had.

          There is a human language available to us where we have an opportunity "to make music that will melt the stars."* Gratitude. Joy. Universal Connection. No words required.