The rainstorms continue to batter us, but we, of course, are the lucky ones. In Japan, an unspeakable tragedy continues that breaks my heart and many others' as well. The Japanese people never ask for help often enough, collectively or individually; in many ways they are the true "rugged individualists," not us.
It makes me sad to think about how isolated many Japanese men and women choose to remain in this time of horrible tragedy. It's almost as if they cannot imagine that there is a different way of being -- a way that speaks to our common humanity.
What I mean is just this -- it doesn't matter who you are or what your history is or who you know or don't know when a disaster of this sort strikes. We are all simply human beings, inhabiting a violent planet, and we can often forget how much we need each other until this sort of event provides a reminder that all of our lives are short, and nothing more than we make of them.
Everything else, all of the professional and personal issues, are relatively insignificant.
Although we often may not act on the impulse, at times like these, we need to be available for any of those people feeling lost, hurt, scared, lonely, sad, or on the verge of giving up.
Don't give up. Everybody hurts somtimes. Hold on.
1 comment:
It is sad to see the ordeal playing out in Japan. In the midst of the sadness, there have been some amazing miracles and people who have rolled up their sleeves to help volunteer in the aftermath. As you said- it is times like these that we know we need each other.
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