Meeting, Anyone?

I'm not much of a meeting person, and I never have been. I don't like to talk at meetings, which is weird I know since I do a lot of public speaking. I don't mind listening to other people; in fact, I quite enjoy when others share their expertise on various things. But I surely do not like to talk at meetings.

I had two meetings today at work, one with only myself and one other person, and the other with a group of 10 or so other gals. In both meetings, I cried ... a lot. In both meetings, I did the talking ... and I cried ... a lot. In both meetings, I knew that the information I was sharing was forever going to change me and my relationships with the people to whom I was talking  ... and I cried ... a lot. In both meetings, my head was down and my heart was heavy ... and I cried ... a lot. 

But ... as I drove home after my noon meeting, a thought entered my mind and I'm thinking perhaps it has taken up residence and intends to linger for a while. As I thought about the meetings and where they took place, I realized that today's meeting places had nothing to do with the physical location of the rooms in which we met. Today's meeting places were in the hearts of all who were involved ... one whose heart was wounded and raw, and the others whose hearts spilled over with compassion and caring and love.

I learned some things today ... some things about forgiveness, some things about honesty, some things about friendship. Today I learned that meeting places in the heart don't have walls or ceilings or floors. Today I learned that meeting places in the heart are built from one thing and one thing only ... meeting places in the heart are built from love.