Only The Best

“Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet that is cast in the sea and brings in a haul of all kinds of fish. When it is full, the fishermen bring it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in baskets and throw away those that are no use.” ~ Matthew 13:44-52

I cannot help but to feel that today’s gospel reading seemed to be asking us to be “wasteful”. That is exactly how it is in our world today. We have no qualms discarding everything and anything – we do not fix things anymore. In relation to that, nothing seemed to be built to last anymore because there will no longer be “recurring revenue” if things cannot be broken or spoiled.

From a different perspective, it also tells us how we are expected to be “perfect” while knowing the fact that we are mere humans with unique weaknesses. The only take away I can think of is that we should all try to be good. I do not really subscribe to the fact that God punishes His children and thus, I am not taking the reading literally.

The way I like to see it is that, we should not be complacent but instead strive for the best in life be it spiritual or otherwise. We should also share our talents with others so that they will be inspired.

A few years ago, I came across a photographer named Willian Wegman. Mr. Wegman captured the hearts of many with his creative and beautiful photographs of his Weimaraner dogs, namely Man Ray and Fay Ray.

The picture of Weimaraners on the packaging of the dog food I bought today reminded me of Mr. Wegman’s photography work with his beautiful dogs.

The following photos are inspired by Mr. Wegman.

Friend

Here I am trying to recall and recollect what has taken place the entire past week. Nothing inspiring worth sharing because I am still coping with losing two people due to relocation. I still hope that one of them would resume his presence online as soon as he is settled at the new base.

Whatever it is, we are often lonely in different ways.

Last weekend, there was a huge Pride Parade at downtown Toronto and the topic of LGBTQ+ became a discussion (once again). One of the many things that is very difficult to define with precise certainty.

I think like most things in life, people in general are seeking acceptance and a sense of belonging. We are trying to fill the void in certain aspects of our lives.

Most of all, we are seeking for companionship and love.

We want to be heard, affirmed of our self-worth, and be valued by someone else.

We are now living a highly pressurized and challenging world where people are easily provoked. The more connected we are through the internet, the more disconnected we are in the real world. It is now quite difficult for us to hold a lengthy conversation because it has been reduced to “what’s in it for me?”, “what do you have that I need?”, or “how can you be of benefit to me?”. We seemed to have grown into this “selling oneself” culture whereby we are either selling a product, a service, or even prostituting ourselves just to get by in life.

In the end, we yearn for what is left of our dignity and self-worth. We become jaded as to what are our talents, values, morality, principles, ethics, and purposes.

If only we can all love a little more by being compassionate to one another. By understanding the fact that each one of us is seeking our spot in this huge planet – to be counted and valued. To also understand that often times, the level of wisdom and intellect of a person can be confined by the circumstances that are totally out of their control. We must love enough to know that for each person to come to his or her own, he or she needs time, the right opportunities, and guidance.

Therefore, if you come across a person not up to your standards or expectations, perhaps it is your opportunity to learn new ways of leadership and be the change he or she needs so desperately to turn life around.

As we begin a new day, let’s ask ourselves – Have you found LOVE today?