I shared a post on Facebook recently. Pooh was having anxious feelings and Piglet came alongside him, just to BE with him, which made him feel supported and cared for. I LOVE THAT!

Too often we want to fix things for people. Let me rephrase that. Too often I do. Things that are unfixable. But we can BE WITH the person, which heals. I can just imagine Pooh leaning his head on Piglet’s little shoulder. Taking a deep breath.

But after about a minute, I took the post back down. Why? Because Piglet said something like, “I can’t change the world, but I can be with you.” And indeed, often that’s the case. But sometimes we CAN change the world. Our challenge is to figure out which is which.

Since Pooh was having generalized anxiety about the state of the world, he needed a friend to sit on a log with. But if he was being bullied or abused, he would need an advocate.

Piglet came on the scene in 1926, so he’s had a long life. He’s known for his kind heart, but he’s also known for taking action, once risking his life to save Pooh during a storm. I guess he didn’t change the world, but he changed Pooh’s world.

Which, to me, is changing the world.

“One of the hardest things we must do sometimes is to be present to another person’s pain without trying to “fix” it, to simply stand respectfully at the edge of that person’s mystery and misery.” Parker Palmer. But sometimes, to do nothing lets the enemy win. Piglet’s genius is in his choices, knowing when to sit, knowing when to act.

I have a lot to learn from Piglet.