a prayer
Tonight, I want to share a prayer in the form of a quote from a wise man from my favorite show, The West Wing:
“This guy’s walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, ‘Hey you. Can you help me out?’ The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, ‘Father, I’m down in this hole can you help me out?’ The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by, ‘Hey, Joe, it’s me can you help me out?’ And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, ‘Are you stupid? Now we’re both down here.’ The friend says, ‘Yeah, but I’ve been down here before and I know the way out.’”
- John Spencer as Leo McGarry on The West Wing (Season 2, Episode 10)
May all people who feel as though they are in a hole realize they are not alone.
You are not alone.
take a breath
Reader Comments (18)
This was a lovely reminder Liz, and one that I think we all need on a regular basis. Sometimes we end up so in our heads that we are sure that we are alone and that no one else could possibly understand. But...they do.
xoxoxoxo
Thanks for reminding me about these beautiful and inspiring words. I'm gonna write them down in my journal.
Hugs to you! Sophie
So true...
Hey, I didn't know that that quote came from a tv show. I used to work at a mental health community centre that fostered peer support between people struggling with mental health issues. We used this quote to describe the power of peer support.
Thank you for the reminder.
ahhh, yes...
and my friend, you are not alone...
...and i am always just a phone call away if you need someone to jump in the hole with you...if i don't know the way out at least we can keep each other company...we can sing, dance, make jokes, talk about johnny depp...
Thanks! I just stumbled on to your blog and needed that prayer. It reminded me of the Metta prayer-- a prayer of loving kindess from the buddhist tradition:
May all beings be happy, content, and fulfilled.
May all beings be healed and whole.
May all have whatever they want and need.
May all be protected from harm, and free from fear.
May all beings enjoy inner peace and ease.
May all be awakened, liberated, and free.
May there be peace in the world, and throughout the entire universe.
I loved that show; I think it had a lot of things to teach us.
Thanks for sharing this today.
I'm in that hole and even though I know I'm not alone, I've never felt so lonely.
I'm in a hole and even though I know I'm not alone, I've never felt so lonely.
This brought tears to my eyes. I needed to read it. Thank you.
Wonderful post, Liz. Good to remember that we are not alone. Ever.
I love that show. Loved when Leo delivered these lines. Thank you, Liz. We are never alone, and help is always a phone call away. Warm hands reaching out to all!
Loved this, liz! Thank you. (I tried to tell you yesterday, but blogger wouldn't....)
Where was this photo taken? It is lovely. I am living in Texas at the moment and am trying to decide where to move for the next academic year; I want some place with oodles of natural beauty (sadly, not like Texas). I hope you get a chance to respond or maybe post the locale on your blog so I might add it to my list of "places prettier than Texas."
I've tried to explain that story so many times and I never get it right...I am so glad you shared this!
Love that quote from Leo.
I've sent it many times to friends in distant cities.
If you click on the picture above, it will tell you a bit about it.
thanks. that helps. a lot.