Cats.  Dogs. Companion animals. Farm Animals. Wildlife. Nature. Humans. Animals.  Adults. Children. Citizens. Foreigners. Who is ‘the other’? Where does compassion stop? Must it? A mechanistic worldview divides the world into rigid categories, ignoring commonalities and interconnectivity.

When it’s time for fables and morality tales, we often emphasize the features that bind us together and the virtues that extend concerns to the well being of others.  But the illusions of selfishness arise as well. Once when I was a child, my mom told me to stop crying. When I asked why, she replied “you’ll run out of tears.” Huh! It redirected me, and stuck with me. But even though that isn’t the case, many people live as if it were, and dole out their compassion like it’s a scarce commodity. Forgetting that we have an infinite capacity for compassion.

What would practicing radical inclusion look like? What would it feel like? How may considering others impact the small, daily choices you make?