Memorial Day Thoughts

Most of us by now, have seen the graphic images of the young man who helped murder a British soldier last week in London. The cell phone video of him explaining his reasons to a pedestrian is stunning in its intensity and isolation.  Each time something like this happens I end up thinking about the many people far away from us, for whom this type of event is a daily occurrence. What overpowering sense of hopelessness and rage must be churning within a person to make them feel this is their only choice?

What do we do when this happens?  What can we do?  I have taken solace from Mr. Roger's mother's advice to "Look at the helpers."  Any of us can take a moment to remember the police, the victims and their families, and always, the children. What about the brave woman who encountered one of the killers and calmly listened to his rage while he stood there knives in hand?  I've thought of her often.  Her action was a different kind of power. She asked why.  She listened.  Something in her wanted to understand.  Most of us will never have to fight for our lives, but we do have fights with our relatives, rage at other drivers on the road, make quick assumptions that when someone irritates us, it's intentional. We are quick to blame and label and shame.  We are all grasping and striving so hard at life, all the time.  In most of the world, that striving is to just stay alive one more day.    It seems to me that our only recourse, is to not join the strident, railing voices.  We have the power to create beauty with our lives and relationships.  To be thoughtful.  To be tolerant.  To listen.

Today is Memorial Day when we honor so many whofought and died to keep violence from taking over.  It seems a fitting tribute to all of them lying so quietly under the green lawns to decide next time the ranting goes endlessly on, we will walk away, and instead go outside and look up at the beautiful, fragile sky that covers all of us and name the beautiful.  Rather than grousing that nothing ever changes, or feeling hopeless we will try to turn our hearts toward all the good in our lives. Perhaps we can consider what we may have done to hurt ourselves or others and gently listen to the anger that stands in the way.  Maybe we can look up into the green trees, think about the sweetness of our lives and let all that rich beauty fill our heart.  It's the best way I know to say in a powerful and lasting way to all of those men and women, Thank you.

                                                                 "No act of kindness,

                                                                  no matter how small,

                                                                  is ever wasted."  Aesop