H I N E N I

It’s been a whirlwind all over the world in these past two weeks and it has the feel of not ending any time soon, and worse, ending well.            .            .

I’ve heard a lot of words over this time and I’ve said a lot of words and there’s one word that came to me when I was looking to hear it or say it but now feel the need to share it:

H               I               N               E               N               I 

It’s a Hebrew word that means:

HERE   I   AM
But here’s the thing about words, or in this case
A WORD.               .            .
They don’t mean anything
Said or Heard
until they are experienced
until they are Living Verbs.          .         .
I’ve had to ask of myself:
JUST HOW AM I SHOWING UP
(and how often?)

I’m wondering (and now hoping you’ll be a little wondering, too)  how am I saying, being HINENI to my family, my friends, my town, my state, my country, my world?  How am I saying HINENI in a way that shows others how much they matter and that I am here?  How am I answering THIS call?
It feels like we have lots of questions a few answers or is it really just this simple:
Why is the seemingly simple so complicated if not for my lack of 
HINENI
Now
is so much more than saying a Word
or even hearing one
Looking at an inspiring picture
Gawking at a-should-never-be-seen-horrific-scene
We are way past AGREEING with this one
and DISAGREEING with that one
N     O      W
in our own individual way
with our own individual skills
It’s time to be an authentic, living
H I N E N I
and to be it profoundly
to Each’s
O  T  H  E  R