Act with Compassion

By:  Kimberly Ramacciotti, Masters Programs Advisor

Out of all the tenants the one that seems the most important to me personally is to Act with Compassion.When I consider what the tenant really means, it makes me think about being aware of those around us and having the desire to help others when they are in a time of need. I can remember an instance many years ago when I was treated with compassion by a complete stranger and the impact that event had on me.I was driving home late one night in December and I had a flat tire on the highway. This was long before I had a reliable cell phone and I didn’t know the first thing about changing a tire. A lot of people passed by before a man stopped to offer to change my tire that cold night.I was extremely grateful for his help, but it was what he said after I thanked him that I remember most. He said that he wasn’t going to stop because he assumed that I had help coming, but he stopped anyway because I reminded him of his daughter. He went on to say that if his daughter was in this situation he would want someone to help her and not just assume she was ok.

This really made me think about how people go from feeling empathy for someone’s situation while passing them by, to feeling a desire to stop and act to alleviate their suffering. In my situation the person helping related to me personally and that motivated him to act with compassion. This experience changed the way I interact with others and taught me that if I have the opportunity to help someone I am going to strive to because that is how I would want someone I care about to be treated. It also showed me to never underestimate the power of your actions because even a small act can make a big impact on someone’s life.