“You and I should live as if You and I never heard of a You and I.” ~ Rumi

Recently governors in the South have been flying migrants to northern U.S. cities as a political statement without regard to the actual human needs of these people in desperate situations.

Can’t we see that the people on our borders begging for us to welcome them are human beings just like us, who just like our ancestors are leaving difficult life situations to try to create better lives for themselves and their loved ones?

We talk about them, but can we imagine, if only for a moment, that we could be them and they could be us? Can we? Perhaps, by imagining that we are them and they are us, we can reach the conclusion that there’s no them, just us. Perhaps we can feel that we are all in this together.

I think about my grandparents who, one century ago, desperately and courageously left Europe, and everything they had, to try a new life in Brazil. Can we find compassion, and generosity, and love, and kindness in our hearts, and welcome frightened refugees as if we were welcoming our ancestors when they came to America?

I try to put myself in the shoes of my relatives, and I pray that if someday my family and I find ourselves in a dire situation in which we shall be forced to flee and seek asylum, we may find welcoming people who will take us in and treat us with kindness.

Praising the benefits of immigration, John F. Kennedy wrote,

“This was the secret of America: a nation of people with the fresh memory of old traditions who dared to explore new frontiers, people eager to build lives for themselves in a spacious society that did not restrict their freedom of choice and action... Immigration policy should be generous; it should be fair; it should be flexible. With such a policy we can turn to the world, and to our own past, with clean hands and a clear conscience... Every ethnic minority, in seeking its own freedom, helped strengthen the fabric of liberty in American life. Similarly, every aspect of the American economy has profited from the contributions of immigrants... The contribution of immigrants can be seen in every aspect of our national life. We see it in religion, in politics, in business, in the arts, in education, even in athletics and in entertainment. There is no part of our nation that has not been touched by our immigrant background.”

Piero Falci teaches Mindfulness Meditation and Mindful Living, leads Insight Meditation Silent Retreats, and organizes Silent Peace Walks. Piero is an educator who believes that the inner work that leads to personal awakening and transformation is indispensable to create a better world. He aspires to live a life that matters and hopes to inspire others to do the same. He is devoted to helping individuals have insights that may expand selflessness and compassion and lead to the growth of kindness and care for all sentient beings and the natural environment. He is a promoter of peace who believes in advancing the idea that Heaven is here if we want it to be. This essay is from his latest book A Better Life in a Better World: Can Mindfulness Save Us from Ourselves? For more information, visit www.PieroFalci.com