When my husband
told me the news of yet another terrorist act in Paris from Friday night, my
initial reaction was the all too familiar gut wrenching sensation in my
stomach, the stab in my heart, and the racing fear in my head. “Why does this
happen? Who is hurt? Are my friends okay?” As someone who is so fiercely intent
on making the world a better place by supporting others in healing practices, I
always find it so difficult to understand the reasoning behind such actions. My
normal process after the shock of it all is usually bewilderment. This is
quickly followed by anger. So much anger. Then powerlessness, hopelessness,
fear. I tend to feel a lot of confusion in
light of my life experience and the many other humans in the world that are so
loving, kind, and beautiful. It just doesn’t make sense.
Not even 12 hours
after these horrific events, I was filling up my car after seeing a movie. I
had forgotten all about this morning. I walked in to pay and made the normal
small talk. The lovely man who served me saw me yawn and said, “Long day?” I
replied, “It’s been a long week!” half joking but speaking truthfully with an
undertone of dissatisfaction. “And you?” I asked. He enthusiastically said,
“I’m good!” (which reminded me of my recent meditation teachings of gratitude).
I bounced back with, “Oh I know, you’re right. I have nothing to complain about
here!” When I got back into my car and turned on the radio, my memory returned.
I realized then that
I do have power in this, and my power lies in my present. For me to honor those
that have lost their lives, is to love the hell out of mine; to remember that
today is a once in a lifetime gift that I will never have again; to love people
in a way that is so unconditional there is no choice but to create a
connection. Life is only enriched by the connections we make with others. And
not just your mother, sister, or friend that looks like you and believes all the same things you
do. But can you truly see past the color of their skin, their religion, career
path? Can you open your heart and eyes to see a person as they actually are?
Can you connect on
the sole basis of your shared humanity?
When people are
disconnected from others and themselves, the world is fragmented and doesn’t often
make sense. Our natural state is oneness, interconnectivity, and
interdependence. What we do to ourselves, we do to others and vice versa. Let go of the illusion of separation. The
way we think about ourselves gives other people permission to do the exact same
thing. We must stop looking at our lives as something that is less than a
miracle, less than good, less than beautiful.
We must love and
be loved. Only this will change our world.
xox Megan
