In Part One of this two-part series, RD&T’s contributing writer, Linda Bloom, explains how practicing sympathetic joy can change an envious heart into a tender one.
Max was born with a malformed heart, which curtailed his participation in vigorous sports. His father, uncle, and male cousins were athletic, pitting themselves against other teams in soccer, basketball, football, and track while Max was confined to golf. He tried his best to be a good sport about it, but he was filled with envy of their health that allowed them the unrestrained activity he longed for.
Marsha was 30 and single. All her closest women friends were married or in committed partnerships. She had a long string of relationships that didn’t work out. She had been a bridesmaid six times in seven years. She did her best to be happy for her friends, but when she saw couples she knew, or even complete strangers in public walking holding hands, embracing, or kissing, her envy of their connections reverberated through her body. She longed for what they had.
