teachers everywhere

Yesterday morning I sat to meditate. I had a specific meditation in mind, but instead, my thoughts kept turning to a friend. I had seen her recently, and within a few moments, she expressed how much she "detests" one person, and how much she dislikes someone else. At the time, I was taken aback with the intensity she exuded just recalling these people. I didn't say anything at the time, but in meditation, my mind kept turning to this, and also how often she has assumed that people don't like or respect her. My friend is one of the most loving, compassionate, caring people I have ever met. She feels other people's pain intensely and will not stop at anything to help. But she also rides a roller coaster of anticipating and assuming the worst from people, loving some, hating others and always preparing to be disappointed. Her moods and outlook on life fluctuate constantly. I was reminded of a story:

A little girl and her mother were walking in the mountains.
Suddenly, the girl falls, hurts herself and screams,
“AAAhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
To her surprise, she hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain:”AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
Curious, the girl yells: “Who are you?”
She receives the answer: “Who are you?”
And then the girl screams to the mountain: “You’re Stupid”
The voice answers: “You’re Stupid”
Frustrated at the response, the girl screams: “I Hate You”
She receives the answer: “I Hate You”
She looks to her mother and asks: “What’s going on?”
The mother smiles and says: “My daughter, pay attention.”
The mother screams: “You are a champion!”
The voice answers: “You are a champion!”
The mother screams: “I love you!”
The voice answers: “I love you!”
The girl is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the mother explains: “People call this ECHO,
but really this is LIFE. It gives you back
everything you say or do.
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.”
If you want more love in the world,
create more love in your heart.
If you want people to respect you, respect them.
This relationship applies to everything,
in all aspects of life.

The echo taught the girl; my friend teaches me.