In 1991 a movie came out with William Hurt called “The Doctor.”  It is the story of a doctor who seems heartless until he gets cancer and must undergo treatment himself. He learns to be compassionate along his journey while making a friend of another cancer patient.

In the end, the main character is struggling with feelings of loneliness. And his new-found friend, before her death, sent him a note. I think about her words regularly as a reminder to put my guard down. 

Here is what she wrote:

“There was a farmer who had a lot of fields, and he kept all of the birds and creatures away from his crops with traps and fences. He was very successful … but he was very lonely. So, one day, he stood in the middle of his fields to welcome the animals. He stayed there from dawn to dusk, with his arms outstretched, calling to them. But, not a single animal came. Not a single creature appeared. They were terrified, you see, of the farmer’s new Scarecrow … just let down your arms, and we’ll all come to you.”