I've been thinking about just how we influence others. We usually consider those in political positions as the influential people of the world. However, if you think of the person who has influenced you most, it's usually someone in your everyday life - perhaps a teacher, a parent, or just a friend or neighbor. I recall a particular teacher I had in college. I don't even recall her name, but she helped me to see things through other people's eyes. I took two classes from her, one about how our mixture of people came about (going back to early civilizations) and the other about various cultures in our world.

Consequently, I always try to realize that my life and another person's life are completely different. I've had certain experiences that the other person hasn't. I may have grown up in a different country or social status than the other person (definitely not by my own choice, but by the occasion of my birth). I've been taught to approach life and circumstances in a different way. And I've even had different people who have influenced me - some I've not even been aware of.

I volunteer at a non-profit agency near me that services primarily people in need. However, I've learned that just coming to our building may not mean that the person is homeless or living in a poor situation. The person may have a nice car, but he or she may have lost a job and sincerely needs our help. Or the person may be sitting in our lobby because he or she is lonely and finds someone to visit with among our clients. We have one man who comes in several times a week and always stops at our clothes closet just to say hello and be affirmed by a volunteer, not needing anything more than that.

We can never step completely into another person's shoes, but we can realize that each of us is different, and we each need to recognize that difference in a loving way.