For Granted

As we collectively feel the pain of the LA fires, it invites us to pause and appreciate our own people, homes, neighbors, belongings, pets, communities, and to reflect on our ever evolving relationship with nature. 

Tragedies invite us to face our own mortality, priorities, and responsibilities.

Our duty is to awaken from each tragedy with an increased commitment to loving action. Each of us will define that differently, but it is our duty to ask ourselves and God: How can I help now, what is mine to do?

Tragic events also invite us into a deeper learning experience about what it means to be human. We can all be asking: What can I learn from this? What is the wake up call for humanity from this event?

Many of us live on autopilot. Our days are mostly the same and our routines are mostly the same. When a large-scale tragedy occurs, it fills our news feed and reminds us of the fragility of our own lives. It snaps us out of autopilot living. It is a reminder that normalcy can come to a sudden stop and everything can change in an instant. What will we do with this new awareness?

To honor those impacted by the LA fires, it is our responsibility to awaken now to what truly matters in our own lives. The petty grievances we have, the numbing distractions we indulge in, and the stress we create over small stuff can fall away if we awaken to the core of our shared humanity. Our shared human experience is found in connection with one another, compassion for all, and a deep appreciation for life. 

Often the people and things most important to us are the very things we take for granted in the surfacey stressors of life. 

Sylvia Path wrote a poem in 1962 titled Three Women: A Poem for Three Voices and these lines stood out to me last week:

Remember, remember, 

this is now, 

and now, and now. 

Live it, feel it, cling to it. 

I want to become acutely aware 

of all I’ve taken for granted. 

This tragedy confronts us to reevaluate our lives: Am I spending it the way I want to? Am I caring for what matters? Am I connecting with those I love the most? What am I taking for granted? How do I spend more time in appreciation? 

We are vulnerable as humans, we are also incredibly resilient. Our capacity to come together, care for each other, rebuild, and rise from ashes has been proven over and over again. But, we also must not squander this opportunity to awaken and notice. 

I hope we all honor what was lost by loving more deeply, living more authentically, and striving to make our corner of the world more compassionate. 

Much love,