how very fragile.
whether we understand it or not this life that we have is so fragile. i look around at the world today and see so many natural catastrophes and wonder how they came to be, and why now, and how is it that with so much technology they could not foreshadow this coming. it could happen any minute to any one of us, and yet there are days that we wish would hurry up and end.
sometimes i let my mind wander to the events of the day of a person who loses their life. they wake up, like every other day and brush their teeth, put on their favorite t-shirt, have a bowl of cereal, and on their way to work they stop at the gas station to fill up. then it happens. out of nowhere, and when they woke up just hours before they had no idea.
i heard that if our planet was one degree closer to the sun we would burn and if we were one degree away we would all freeze, how fragile this world really is. who can account for mother nature the beautiful sunrises and the storms that brew in the evening.
this is not a depressing post, at least it was not meant to be. it was meant so be a breath of fresh air, to sit back and take a look at everything you have, everyone you have, and appreciate it all. the good and the bad.
Comments
I remember watching the news when everything in Japan and Libya were (and are) unfolding. I remember feeling so much, maybe too much, about the earthquakes/tsunamis. But I thought, this was a natural disaster. No one could have predicted or prevented it, no one was at fault. It was just nature. And then I turned my eyes toward Libya (and other countries under a similar regime) and thought - but this isn't. This is a human being, inflicting fear and pain upon other human beings. And that made me angrier than any natural disaster. (Which isn't to say that one is worse than the other.)
i better stop here or else i'm going to ramble on and on i don't know why but i tend to do that.
http://www.universetoday.com/14437/how-far-is-earth-from-the-sun/
I appreciate this post. I have plenty of days, including today, where things don't fall into place the way you want them to. It ruins my mood, but I pull myself out and realize I shouldn't get worked up over something so trivial (while it may seem bigger in the first place). Thanks for writing!
As for these calamities, prophets have long foretold them, and they will only increase in number as we head towards Christ's second coming.
But once I heard a talk by a religious leader of my church that basically said that while these are the last days, and full of calamities, we should be happy. We should find happiness in the Gospel and in loving and serving each other.
In fact:
http://lds.org/library/display/0,4945,538-1-2828-1,00.html
There is a link to the transcript. I think you'll like it.
http://myemptyteacup.blogspot.com/
I think we have to take a step back and remember that everything that happens, good or bad, happens for a reason. Everything's placed where it should be and that we don't have to worry. But it's inherently human for us to want to control everything. We just need to let go and take each day as it comes and like you said, appreciate it all. Gosh, that's the most important (and hardest) thing, isn't it?
"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile." - Albert Einstein
I think it is powerful because when we do the best to live to love and help our families, our friends, our co-workers, a fellow human being, and our God... we'll be as ready as we can be to leave this world and know that we were blessed to live the life we lived and to be a part of others' life as well. Great post Stephen!
Perhaps we have to operate under this conceited & wildly erroneous assumption in order to go on with our existence...perhaps truly acknowledging how powerless we are in the face of nature would strip us of the will to persist, continue & advance as a species.
Fragility & vulnerability are the most frightening of human experiences. It is in our nature to avoid & protect against these. But, as we have seen endless proof of in the wake of the recent distaters & crises, it is in situations where humans are exposed & vulnerable that true relationships & comradery are built & the human spirit shines through. In many ways, our fragility makes us stronger & our vulnerability is beautiful & powerful.
And then I am reminded...Jesus had to become vulnerable & fragile, had to experience all aspects & consequences of that fragility, in order to enact our salvation.
Thank you for a thought provoking post Stephen.
Kate (Adelaide)