soixante vs. trente

"If I drowned in sixty feet of water, and your drowned in thirty, then what's the difference?"

- Monica Lewinsky

I am pretty sure that this video will go viral. And by tomorrow you will have seen it, along with a boat load of opinions and comments. But as of this moment it is new to me, and I think it is an important speech about compassion.

Monica Lewinsky at the Forbes' Thirty Under Thirty Summit

Compassion

Just a couple of nights ago, one of my favorite couples came over for dinner. They brought with them many things such as wisdom, advice, humor, love, support and were selfless with their time (in spite of being in the midst of long days and busy projects with work).

Tonight I learned that one of them packed his bags on a moment's notice this afternoon to hop a plane to Haiti on behalf of Mercy Corps. Neither of them batted an eye. He was gone and she gives him 100% support and holds down the fort for them both.

It found me thinking of the mindset of people like Gene and Christi. So I looked up the word compassion to better understand the text book definition.

Compassion according to Online Dictionary(n.): Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.

I would just make one alteration to this definition to better reflect their compassionate nature. I think in Gene and Christi's case the definition looks something like this:

Compassion according to Gene & Christi (n.): Deep awareness of others and their situation coupled with the desire to selflessly support them from a genuine place of love.

Whether they are helping a friend with a new business or helping others in the face of devastation, they always seem to give of themselves readily. I am vibrating with inspiration and aspiration. Thanks you two.