I’m supposed to be writing blog posts on…well, not entirely sure what, but something upbeat and positive, to hopefully get readers to come and notice my upcoming release. But today, after the horrific events of the weekend that just seem to keep acculmulating? It’s just not possible.
I simply can’t understand how a person can either blithely ignore the suffering of others and blame all misfortune on those who are suffering, nor can I understand how someone could cause so much suffering, to think they have the right to snuff out the lives of others. My heart aches, for those who have lost so much, for those who continue to suffer, for the state of our civilization that this is somehow considered acceptable.
It would be easy to be angry, to blame someone or something else for what’s happened. Because anger and blame are easier to swallow, and it can feel like we’re accomplishing something by lashing out, finding a reason or person that can be squarely blamed for what’s happened. But really, that’s no better than the person who attacked others out of who-knows-what-reasons. Perhaps they blamed a country / city / culture / whatever for their suffering, and thought somehow by attacking them, it would ease the pain.
But pain just spreads.
Maybe we need to look within ourselves to discover how our world has come to this. Why we choose the easy path of blaming someone else for our problems instead of taking the harder one, and realizing sometimes we are the cause of our problems.
Today I want to hide somewhere safe, even while others have not been allowed that luxury. I wish I had an answer for why these things happened, because answers suggest solutions. All I know is that clearly, there isn’t enough love in the world. Self-love and selfishness? Oh, there seem to be plenty of those – but see? There I go blaming an outside force. Us vs them. There is only us. Human. We may look different on the outside, we may have different thoughts and beliefs. But just because we believe one thing over another doesn’t mean anyone else has to. Why can’t we remember better as adults some of the lessons we’re taught as children? Be kind to each other, respect each other, and no one has the right to be a bully. As humans, we’re flawed and broken, and perhaps we always will be–but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to improve, try to make ourselves better.
I don’t know how to ease your suffering today other than by saying remember to share your love. I ache too. Go hug your family and friends. Do kind things for others. Do your part to improve our species and our world, because if everyone was out there trying to bring about kindness, think how different our world could be?
I truly believe there is magic in our world. Perhaps not always the werewolves and fairies and spells kind, but moments when life reminds us what a beautiful place we live in, how lucky we are to be alive, and the wonderful potential we as a species have. So please, look for those moments, create them. Be the magic in someone else’s world. Make this world a more loving and magical place.
