Frank Capra’s 1947 holiday classic, It’s a Wonderful Life, gives a discouraged George Bailey a glimpse into what the lives of his loved ones would have been like if he’d never been born. His guileless guardian angel, Clarence Odbody, arranges “what if” flashbacks so George can see the myriad ways that his life touched others.
A succession of scenes show how the lives of those he cared about were undermined without his presence. He sees that it would not, in fact, have been better if he’d never been born. That insight shakes him out of his despair. And, because it’s a Frank Capra movie, there’s a heartwarming ending.
In the wake of the recent passing of the founder of Feathered Pipe, India Supera, I had the privilege of seeing hundreds of emails and social media posts from people recounting their own experiences at the Feathered Pipe Ranch. Some shared descriptions of brief intersections with India that were life-changing. Or moments of sudden clarity that happened for them at the Ranch — moments that toppled the first domino of an unsatisfying life. The spark of inspiration uncovered a new way of being in the world. One with less suffering, more space for compassion, and an ineffable trust in something unseen that would illuminate the path ahead.
As their lives were enriched, so too were the lives of loved ones and their communities.
Scores of touching stories poured in about how the alchemy of the Ranch she nourished, or India’s personal counsel, reshaped their understanding of the world. How far even a little compassion can go!
Nudged by a mysterious force they didn’t always understand, many began reassembling a different, more authentic, life with service to others becoming a central focus of their days. Life-changing initiatives and nonprofits were birthed. Relationships mended, eyes opened to needs in the world that they’d never seen before. More than a few set off on grand and mysterious adventures that led them to take up vital philanthropic work.
A contagion of goodness spread virally over decades rippled out and multiplied.
Reading all these narratives made me imagine my own “what if” flashback. It reinforced my appreciation for how my life was upgraded because of Feathered Pipe. I can trace back transformative experiences and scores of cherished friendships to the time I’ve spent at that Ranch. The relationships planted there and all the experiences that unfolded for me on that sacred land made my life come true.
I shudder at what I might have missed, who I might never have met, and what insights I’d never have had. All of this linked to a decision—made by someone I didn’t know when I was in high school—to make something extraordinary out of a remote Montana property she unexpectedly inherited in her youth.
In times that are so crazy-making and discouraging, it’s impossible to underestimate the value of preserving those places—and honoring those people—that cultivate uninhibited compassion.
