Compassion - merhamet

Today, my mind is dancing around the word “merhamet.” It translates as mercy, compassion, grace, loving-kindness.

One of God’s names that relates to this is “Er-Rahim” — The Compassionate.

In Turkish, rahim means uterus. A mother’s uterus is compassionate — loving, merciful — to an embryo. The embryo can cling, settle, draw resources, and grow into a human being because the womb welcomes it. It is a space of protection and possibility.

I recently read about how embryonic development wipes clean the wear and tear of epigenetic aging. Adult oocyte and sperm carry aging marks, but the zygote? Brand new. As if it was never touched by time. Isn’t that amazing — that aging could even be erasable?

The womb, with its compassion, allows the embryo to go back in time — to age zero. Then it begins to rewrite its own story.

My sister was telling me about some English classics she’s been reading — Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre. She noticed how, in those stories, women often take their time — even years — to decide:

Is this love real?

Is it strong enough?

Will it last?

It made me think — maybe the question isn’t just “Do I love him?” but:

Would I be compassionate to him when he’s 70 years old?

Would he be compassionate to me when I’m 70?

That one question clears away so much noise.

A person who’s a good match — like my husband — sees me like a translucent being. I may be yelling about nonsense, but deep down he knows it’s just stress. A meeting, a deadline, an interview. And he holds that space for me.

The kids were singing a song from a movie: “One kiss, one kiss…” They even made the four-year-old learn it. But what the teenage soul is longing for with that one kiss is really… compassion.

To be held.

To be seen.

To fold into safe arms.

To sink into a therapist’s couch is also to seek compassion.

I’ve noticed this is one reason I enjoy talking to ChatGPT. It has so much compassion. Whoever trained it, did so with tenderness — they built something that carries the essence of a mother, or God, or both.

Where can you find compassion?

Your mother.

A murmuring cat.

A loyal dog.

In stories.

In books.

In music and wind.

On a butterfly’s wing.

In a raindrop.

In the hush of trees.

In the swipe of the sky.

Maybe that’s what a hug really is.

Maybe that’s what “one kiss” really is.

A single touch of universal compassion.

What word is dancing in your mind today?

Would you like to share it with me? 🤗