Can Tragedy Be Our Teacher?

You know those days that change you in an instant?

That stop you in your tracks, slow everything to a crawl, and bring our humanity and empathy fully into focus, like-it-or-not? Yesterday was one of those days for me.

A man had a medical emergency in the store I've been temping in, and I was grateful, though a bit shocked, to be called on use my CPR training. After a bit my coworker took over, and I sat with the man's wife, Evelyn.

I held her hand, and offered comfort the best I could. She squeezed my hand so tight, and I felt an overwhelming rise of love and compassion for this man and woman, whose worlds were changing before our eyes. It didn't matter that they were strangers. The reaction was immediate. So raw and simple, yet profound. We were connected.

Reflecting on it now, I am still in awe of this gift we humans have been given. The instant human instinct to show love and compassion and help in times of deep fear and need. And it certainly wasn't just me. EVERYONE in the store that day was murmuring prayers, words of encouragement and hope. We were all connected in our knowledge of how changeable our world -our very lives- can be.

I can't help but notice how in every tragedy, the most immediate and overwhelming reaction is not judgement, not hate, but LOVE.

IMAGINE what our world would be like if we all related to each other (even total strangers) with love and compassion on just a "regular" day? What if it didn't take a traumatic event to remind us how precious every life is, and how fleeting?

I want Evelyn, and each and every one of you reading this, to please know that I am sending you overflowing LOVE, COMPASSION, AND SUPPORT for the parts of you that are hurting, grieving, or just plain tired. YOU MATTER. YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU REALIZE. And YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

With all my love.