The heartache of the 11/13/15 Terrorist attacks (and for the suffering all over the world)
Before I started my blog, I used to avoid posting anything controversial. It wasn't because I was afraid of offending anyone, I just thought it was unnecessary because people are going to see what they want to see (and I believe this now more than ever). So I didn't bother because it wasn't going to change anyone's mind that didn't want to be changed already.
At this point in my life however, I see more and more how everyone has their own struggles. And how much everyone just needs and wants support. So voicing your opinion became more about helping and getting everyone to listen to each other.
When I first started seeing all those Facebook posts about Paris, I had multiple reactions including:
1. Sadness. For all the friends and family and the people who lost their lives.
2. Pain. For the fact that people can do this to one another and how it must feel to be terrified for your life
3. Shame. For knowing that there are acts of terror all over and the world is selective in what they care about. And that some even go as far as discrediting other people's fear. (Beirut, the Iraq war, Mizzou)
4. Anger. For the blame and finger pointing and hate that follows
5. Confusion. For wanting to support the people in Paris but not wanting to change my Facebook profile picture (It just didn't sit right with me personally for a variety of reasons)
6. Overwhelmed. Because there's no real solution to any of these problems. Because maybe love and kindness isn't always the answer. Because life is so complicated.
7. Frustrated. Because you can never do or give enough so I just feel hopeless and my heart aches and I'm back to not saying anything because I don't know.
I don't know.
But I guess that's also part of the solution. As hard as we try, we'll never know what's going to happen. And some people say that events like this don't make a difference because we're all just going to go back to living our lives, but I disagree.
I don't think it's about remembering or forgetting but rather something we all have inside us already. Maybe it's the ability to care or feel the pain of someone else or I don't really know. But whatever it is, it does affect our decisions whether we're aware of it or not.
So it's important to remember that our actions or even inaction are going to constantly influence others in ways that we don't see. And we just have to be brave enough to trust and live the way we feel honors their lives and is right for us in the end.
At this point in my life however, I see more and more how everyone has their own struggles. And how much everyone just needs and wants support. So voicing your opinion became more about helping and getting everyone to listen to each other.
When I first started seeing all those Facebook posts about Paris, I had multiple reactions including:
1. Sadness. For all the friends and family and the people who lost their lives.
2. Pain. For the fact that people can do this to one another and how it must feel to be terrified for your life
3. Shame. For knowing that there are acts of terror all over and the world is selective in what they care about. And that some even go as far as discrediting other people's fear. (Beirut, the Iraq war, Mizzou)
4. Anger. For the blame and finger pointing and hate that follows
5. Confusion. For wanting to support the people in Paris but not wanting to change my Facebook profile picture (It just didn't sit right with me personally for a variety of reasons)
6. Overwhelmed. Because there's no real solution to any of these problems. Because maybe love and kindness isn't always the answer. Because life is so complicated.
7. Frustrated. Because you can never do or give enough so I just feel hopeless and my heart aches and I'm back to not saying anything because I don't know.
I don't know.
But I guess that's also part of the solution. As hard as we try, we'll never know what's going to happen. And some people say that events like this don't make a difference because we're all just going to go back to living our lives, but I disagree.
I don't think it's about remembering or forgetting but rather something we all have inside us already. Maybe it's the ability to care or feel the pain of someone else or I don't really know. But whatever it is, it does affect our decisions whether we're aware of it or not.
So it's important to remember that our actions or even inaction are going to constantly influence others in ways that we don't see. And we just have to be brave enough to trust and live the way we feel honors their lives and is right for us in the end.
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