Sunlight Follows Her

some people follow the sun
and worship its radiant heat and ambient light
they are compelled because of their own inner darkness
to move toward a source of warmth


others see the sun's brightness 
as a blinding light 
that reveals too much
and scares them because of their 
inability to manage their own lives
to live with their own choices
and acknowledge their humanity 
the frailties that make us all 
mere humans


but there are those rare humans
who exist 
in a world where the warmest, brightest light
comes from within.
their generosity and compassion
guide them
and their moral compass is always pointing
heavenward.
their true north is their heart
and it helps them 
live, love and teach others
what life is about.


for them, life is about making a difference.
our time here, on earth, is short, 
at least, in the scheme of things - universal things.
and while it is sadly easy to make a difference for the wrong reasons,
you can hurt someone without much effort - 
you can neglect them, abuse them, disrespect them
if you are so inclined.


yet to make someone happy
to offer and provide contentment, security, friendship, love
that ------ takes time, effort, awareness.
awareness beyond your own desires.
you must get to know the person, 
their hopes, dreams, aspirations
you must care about what matters to them
even when there is no time, energy or reason to do so.
so imagine for one moment, what it means to change the lives
of those you do not know, have no real vested interest in,
and have no common community or allegiance.
to change a group of lives for the better 
requires a monumental effort
effort that must be sustained beyond what the average person can fathom.
as we run off to our own commitments.


yet there are those,
rare, elemental beings 
who perform these 
random acts of kindness
as though they were 
doing any small, mundane task.
their compassion and generosity 
know no limits or perhaps few limits.
and the application of their talents
can mean so much, it can literally change a persons world.


i once heard, in church, 
kindness is knowing the right thing to do
but goodness is actually doing the right thing.


so when i say that
the sun follows hyacinth
because her kindness and goodness 
emanate from her own spirit
and radiate light and heat
beyond the sun's ability to comprehend
it is because i know first hand
what is is like when her warmth 
shines upon your life.


my family and i were privileged
to receive the efforts of her diligence, tenacity and resolve.
we were able to bare witness to the powerful
energy that she suspends around her
as she tirelessly works to move mountains
and make the impossible - possible.
we were and remain humbled 
in the face of hyacinths' supreme selflessness.


it seems impossible to find a way to express 
the appropriate amount of gratitude.
words are small, paltry things
in the face of the actions of a person
of hyacinth's ilk.
but they are all i have
mere words,
that i am blessed by god to use
gracefully and expressively
so that others may know and understand
why she is so rare, 
what makes her special, loved, and appreciated
by so many, 
and mostly,
why the sunlight follows her.