Once upon a time, the population of the Earth was 6,000,000,000.  I decided to take a large glass jar and fill it with tiny specks of “something” – six billion bits.  And then I would sit there and reflect on all of us.

I found bags of itsy bitsy seeds in a bulk food store.  I filled a tiny cup with them, counting all the while.  Then I kept pouring cups into the jar.  When it was full, I did the math.  In front of me sat about 300,000 seeds, also known as human beings.

Now I realize that I was meditating on the population of Gent, a city that was beyond my consciousness back then.

***

Now there are eight billion of us.  Most of them I’ve never met.  And I wonder about them.

Eight billion minds – holding on to the old and maybe reaching towards the new

Eight billion hearts – keeping the body going and embracing the beloveds

Sixteen billion hands – completing the tasks of the day … and holding other hands

Sixteen billion eyes – taking in both the pain and the wonders of the world

Sixteen billion feet – exploring the highways and byways, urging us to see what’s over there

***

I need a really big jar