Today I realized how compassion truly is everywhere.
Sabrina and I are visiting her family in Germany. We are in a small rural town, similar to Nevada City or Grass Valley in both size and location. Her family is not well off. They live simply, eat well, work hard, and love life. They also are a model of compassion.
Her mother invited us to ‘shop in the basement.’ Sabrina got all excited. I had no idea why. Was this another mistranslation? Nope. The basement is like a store! Miscellaneous kitchen tools and knick knacks line the shelves while clothes are just hanging on the rack. My grandma taught me never to question hospitality, so we shopped. It was a blast! But why do they have all these wonderful, brand new things, and never use them? Is there an international Clean house show to turn them into?
Sabrina explained. Her mother’s family comes from Bosnia. Many families from Bosnia are in great need of clothing, utensils, picture frames, etc. So she collects these from her local community. Whenever someone is going to Bosnia, she sends a couple bags for a family in need
She is doing just what our dojo did earlier this year for Weave, only she is on the other side of the world. Their family in Germany is helping families in Bosnia with clothes and more. Jack’s project helped the people in our own Sacramento community with the school supplies they need. What will our next black belt candidates do? The compassionate possibilities are as endless as our imagination…