Days of Trial

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
- Plato

The day brought more sad news when I learned this morning that my dear friend Nancy's father passed away in Moncton. He has been very ill and is finally free of the suffering that has plagued him for so long. But Nancy is a thousand miles away from home and there is little I can do to offer her comfort on this dark day. Even when you know it is coming, the death of a parent is painful. So I send my love, thoughts and prayers into the universe and hope that they reach Nancy and comfort her.

Later in the day, I saw a posting on my friend Stephen's Facebook page. On Monday, at the funeral of Stephen's wife Iris, his sister Helena gave a poignant eulogy. In the early morning hours of Tuesday, Helena's 22-year-old son John, was killed in a house fire in Alberta where he had recently moved to work in the oil fields. The family is devastated by this incomprehensible loss.

I've been trying to figure out these last few days, why so many difficult and painful things are happening right now. Every day for the past week or so, I have heard of a new death or a grave illness or a personal trial in the lives of the people around me. Why so much grief? Why so much sorrow? Why so much stress? The world economy is failing. Natural disasters abound. And there seems to be so little joy in the world at a time when in these pre-Christmas days, we are usually living in a season of joy. There are, of course, no explanations. But I keep searching. The best I've come up with so far is that maybe we're in a time of universal stress and the way we will come through it is to get a whole lot better at taking care of one another. A kinder, gentler world might help us all get through. But the only way to achieve that is for each of us to be kinder and gentler. I'm going to give it my very best effort.