Scattering Blessings

I am fortunate that my work commute is about 15 minutes each way, made in the comfort of my car.

As I drive, I see people walking, some carrying bags of groceries or baskets of laundry, sometimes pushing a child in a stroller, sometimes carrying bags and pushing a stroller, and possibly with a furred friend on a leash as well.

I see people working in yards, or putting a new roof on a house, or doing work on the road I’m driving on. I see the large trucks driven by the trash collection service employees, the utility company truck with someone in the basket lift repairing a power or phone line, delivery trucks and moving vans taking things from Point A to Point B.

It may be a pleasantly cool day, or ridiculously hot, or cold and raining.

Whatever is going on, I am seated comfortably in my car, in a nicely temperature-controlled, rainproof, and shaded moving bubble, listening to music, on my way to my job where I will be seated comfortably in a nicely temperature-controlled, rainproof, and shaded office where I can listen to music.

I am aware of the exceptional ease of my circumstances, and while I can’t change the world overnight to make life as easy for everyone, I have a practice I call “scattering blessings”.

For someone walking, I wish them a pleasant walk to their destination, and a joyful day. If they’re pushing a stroller, or walking with a small child or a pet, I wish blessings upon them and their child, or them and their furred friend, that all of them are happy and healthy.

For someone doing physical work, I offer blessings and thanks to them for their work in making the world better, and blessings on their work. I wish them protection from the sun/heat/cold, and a warm welcome when they return home in the evening.

I see delivery drivers, and do something similar: I offer blessings and thanks to them for their work in making sure people have what they need, and blessings on their work. I wish them safe travels and protection from the weather, and a warm welcome when they return home in the evening.

For the moving vans, I offer thanks and blessings to the workers for safely transporting the clients’ possessions, and offer blessings to the ones being moved to find joy, peace, and comfort in their new homes.

Perhaps it makes a positive difference to the people I pass, or perhaps it doesn’t. My hope is that it does, and it’s certainly a useful practice for me to keep perspective on what is happening in my day.

There are many ways to do this practice throughout the day, anywhere. Try it yourself and see what works for you!