Be gentle

I was with some little kids the other day as they petted a kitten.  Over and over I heard the mothers admonish, "Be gentle," as the kids tentatively reached out to touch the ball of fur.

"Be gentle." As a parent I remember saying those words to an older brother anxious to hug his younger sibling, maybe a little too tightly. 

To a young boy picking up a toad for the first time to feel its skin.  To a kid elbowing her way into the line to go down the slide.  To a little helper at the sink washing berries.

"Be gentle."  A command always directed at behavior towards others. Be gentle to those you touch, you help, you care about.

It seems we often forget to tell them that there is a time to be gentle to yourself as well.  A time to allow oneself some leeway, some comfort, some acceptance. A time to extend some gentle touches inward.