1. Delicacy.
Delicacy is finesse in execution, elegance, skill, refinement in gesture, in the expression of a thought, in the way a compliment is delivered.
When it comes to welcoming and reaching out to others, it is not what you have to give, but how you give it. A good smile, a handshake, a kiss are always more effective than tranquillizers and aspirin in chasing away migraines, stress and worry.
Delicacy is a kind word on someone's birthday. It's a compliment, a word of sympathy, encouragement given at the right moment, something refined that springs from my heart to light up a look, to start a smile.
I am not alone. Someone is living under the same roof. I have an apartment or I live with my family, or I'm part of a team, so if I'm aware of the delicacy that lies within me, others will benefit from my presence, and I'll certainly feel closer to them.
If someone were to think of all the joy they have in their heart, they would give their joy by wrapping it in indulgence and forgiveness, and they would go out to others and bring their sunshine, their light, their warmth.
Delicacy is the exquisite fruit of love, a liberating power that pushes aside mediocrity and routine, stimulates generosity and weakens selfishness.
Excerpt from the “Collection Volontaires de Dieu”, Father Louis-Marie Parent, O.M.I.
