a radiant heart

Sometimes when I look at a person, his or her individual nature dissolves and I see what I can only describe as consciousness in an angel's body. You would think this happens when I am feeling warm and fuzzy, but more often it's when I'm starting to feel negative or afflicted emotions. Today, I attended the High School awards ceremony, both to present an award and as a parent whose child was receiving an award. I was sitting on the stage with the other presenters, and, once my presentation was over, started to feel restless and impatient that there were still so many other presentations to go. But as I looked out over the auditorium filled with students and parents, their individual natures dissolved and I saw hopes and dreams, love and pride, and a room full of angels. My ex-husband sat in the first row. I felt united with him in the pride and love we feel for our daughter, and he too transformed into an angel before my eyes. Suddenly, I felt filled with happiness. I would have been content for the ceremony to go on forever. I realized that, without planning to, I had applied the four infinite thoughts of kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity (Yoga Sutra 1.33). The result was that my heart felt "carefree and radiant like starlight."

It has been excellently said by the Teacher of Gods and Men that among all wealth, contentment is the best. So be fully content. If you know contentment, even if you possess no wealth, you’ll be perfectly rich.
– Arya Nagarjuna, Letter to a Friend