On this early-morning walk, we reflect on a simple North Face jacket that’s been with me for more than 30 years—and the surprising story that unfolded when it went missing. What began as a moment of frustration and “bad luck” slowly revealed itself as something else entirely: a reminder that compassion still moves quietly through the world.
In this meditation, we explore:
* How easily we mislabel events as misfortune
* The ways our identity can get tangled in stories of bad luck
* The quiet choices others make that restore our hope in humanity
* How reframing a moment can shift the entire emotional landscape
* Why small gestures—opening a door, returning a lost item, offering kindness—can ripple far beyond what we imagine
This is a walk about paying attention. About noticing the ordinary places where compassion shows up. And about recognizing how our own small actions—however simple—might be the very gesture that gives someone else a little hope.
Wherever you are walking today, consider this gentle question:
How might I use what I have, or where I stand, to offer someone a moment of humanity?
