What In The World?

     No Friday review today. Instead, just a few thoughts on recent events.

     A lot has happened in the last week or so. No, let me change that. A lot has happened in the last few months. Shootings, bombings, and explosions, deliberate and accidents. It’s easy to let those things take over our lives and become the focus of our attention. We are bombarded day and night with news reports and sound bites, many of which are contradicted or retracted almost immediately. It becomes far too easy to think of the world as bad or sick.

     I think that is the wrong thing to do. We live in a fast-paced world, one that changes daily, if not faster. We have access to so many sources of information, from TV to newspapers, magazines, and the internet. There is a need to be first- first to know, first to see, first in everything. It pushes us to seek out the latest news and reports, especially when tragedy strikes.

     But there is also an urge to explain, to figure it out, to ask why? And who? So we point fingers, assign blame, target someone or something in the effort to ease our own discomfort. I know I can be guilty of doing those things. I also think we should think about what we are doing. Pointing fingers and looking for someone to blame only fosters and fans the anger and fear. Perhaps we should stop, take those proverbial deep breaths, and look around.

     Look around at the good and the beautiful. Look at the babies born on the days of tragedy, new lives just beginning, full of hope and promise. Look around at the people in our lives who make those lives so much better- our families and friends. Look around at the world we live in. Despite the wars and unrest, wrapped around the hatred and fear, is beauty and life. Our world is waking up from its winter sleep. Grass is greening, flowers are blooming, and birds are singing again. I was out  walking the dog the day after the marathon bombings, and I felt the warmth of the Spring sun, and saw the blue sky, and smelled the fresh, new air. Of course, the things that have happened are terrible and horrific, but I felt a peace and joy that somehow, helped.

     Don’t ignore the tragedies. Don’t bury your head in the sand. But maybe, just maybe turn off the TV news, dial the car radio to some great music, use the computer and cell phone to do something other than Google the news. Spend time with your family. Have dinner and enjoy the company, and maybe a few laughs. Meet a friend for coffee. Don’t focus on fear and death. Stop pointing fingers and blaming or criticizing. Put more joy and happiness and good out into the world. I promise, you will feel better. And maybe if enough light is released into our lives, we can make a real difference, one of us at a time.