I appreciate the eulogy Ted Kennedy gave at his brother’s funeral. Speaking of Robert, he said so eloquently, “My brother need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it”.

Who wouldn’t want such sentiments used to describe them as well?

Yet, sometimes, we seem to get in our own way in regards to such things. Instead, we can become the ones doing the wrong, creating the suffering and causing the war.

I believe this can often be due to unaddressed wrongs, sufferings, and wars we carry within ourselves. Things perhaps that happened to us, that hardened us, and hurt us. As a result, things can sometimes trigger us to act out in ways far from our true selves.

Investigating what causes us to act in these ways is good work indeed, and we may often be surprised by the old wounds we have stubbornly been holding onto – deeply imbedded insecurities, doubts, fears, false expectations, etc. All these things and more keep us distanced from what we truly desire to be.

We all have within us the ability to grow more confident, compassionate, courageous, and kind. To become people who are eager to encourage and help, and as it was said, those who strive to right wrongs, offer healing amidst suffering, and bring peace amidst wars.

Truly this is a change of direction, stirred by our change of heart that moves us closer to our truer selves – reflections of the love and beauty of Jesus Christ.

“For you were called to freedom. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another”. Galatians 5:13