A very long time ago, I managed volunteers at Lethbridge Regional Hospital in Canada. It was especially challenging when some of these folks were on the Alzheimers nursing unit. The person suffering from dementia needed someone who would flow with a conversation that may have no basis in fact.

I remember one of the patients. The staff called her Mrs. Please Come Here, because that’s what she said throughout the day. Her words have entered me. I carry them with me.

When I open my eyes after meditating, the first thing I see is my local version of Gent’s bumpy skyline. The second thing I see is Jesus. He stands on the windowsill.

I’m not Christian but I revere spiritual teachers such as Jesus. He looks at me … beckoning. His arms are wide, gathering in all of us. “Come close. I want to know you.”

And so it is with me.

Think of any adjective that you could use to describe a human being. I enclose every word, in my mind (and sometimes my body) drawing people to my chest. In my better moments this includes everyone, even those who are mean or distant.

Please come here