Nurture
To nurture something means to supply it with support, nourishment and
protection. It doesn't matter what sort of "thing" we're talking
about. You can nurture a child, an animal, an idea, a connection
with a friend, an attitude, a feeling, a social movement or an
organization. If you are inclined to see the universe as a living
organism, you can even nurture the universe itself.
The full value of nurturing lies in the fact that it doesn't
just benefit whatever is being nurtured. It returns equal benefit
to
the one who does the nurturing. As Newton observed, "To every
action there is an equal and opposite reaction." The act of
nurturing also nurtures us in return, in a deep and profound way.
Nurturing increases our degree of connection with the world. It
helps break down the barriers that separate self from other, that
separate each of us from the world we live in. Each nurturing act
reminds us of the interdependence of life. If we allow them to,
those acts will reinforce our understanding that nothing exists apart
from the web of life, and that each of us plays an important role in
creating and maintaining that web.
As we nurture, a great sense of responsibility and protectiveness can
rise within us. If we use our developing awareness of connection
to extend those feelings out to the rest of the world, they will meet
and link with our feeling of respect for life. That linkage
allows us to create a net of compassion that we can then cast over all
life, human and non-human alike.
A great reciprocity rules the universe -- as we nurture, so we are
nurtured in return.
|