Building Bridges

Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust and hostility to evaporate.
-Albert Schweitzer (1875 – 1965)

As you have likely noticed, I am most inspired by people and quotes. I am in constant pursuit of actions and words that cause me to think outside of my box and challenge me to be a better person.

Fortunately, my husband recently told me about a beautiful poem called The Bridge Builder. It not only speaks to the season, but also to our regular and daily lives, as our actions, words, body language, and tones are either building or burning bridges. We have control of our lives and get to determine how we use our time, talents and treasures to make a positive difference for another person.

The poem is below and I hope it impacts you as much as it has impacted me.

An old man, going a lone highway,
Came at the evening cold and gray
To a chasm vast and deep and wide
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
The rapids held no fears for him.
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.

“Old man,” cried a fellow pilgrim near,
“You’re wasting your time in building here.
Your journey will end with the closing day;
You never again will pass this way.
You have crossed the chasm deep and wide;
Why build you this bridge at even-tide?”

The builder lifted his old gray head.
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There follows after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This stream, which has been as naught to me,
To that fair youth may a pitfall be.
He too must cross in the twilight dim —
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him.”

-Will Allen Dromgoole (1860- 1934)