I am a fairly emotional person.
I am easily affected by outside influences.
I often internalize the pain that others are going through.
Other’s tragedies have, at times felt as if they were my own.
But, unlike those who own the tragedy, I do not have the constant reminders that they have.
I drive past an accident and I get choked up, wondering and worrying about how their life may have just changed.
When I read articles about disasters or accidents, I wipe away tears and pray for the families.
As friends and family are diagnosed with cancer or other sicknesses, I ache for them. I cry for them. I pray for them and long for something that I can do to ease their pain.
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There is no one tragedy that has changed my life. But rather a combination of them that have influenced most aspects of my life.
When someone has lost a loved one, I am reminded that life is precious and we need to make the most of every day.
If there is a wreck on the freeway, I am reminded that I need to be more attentive when driving.
As I watch a family lose their father, I am reminded that I do need to care/know about our accounts and life insurance policies as much as I really do NOT want to.
When an act of violence takes away someone’s life or ability to live on their own, I am reminded to lock my doors, be careful getting to my car and to avoid dark places.
When a spouse dies, I am reminded that love doesn’t end with this life and that I need to do all I can to strengthen and nourish our relationship every day.
When someone loses a child, I am reminded of so very much. I am reminded to cherish EVERY SINGLE MINUTE I have to be with my girls. I’m reminded to enjoy them and to have fun with them. To be their friend and to love them unconditionally. No matter what stage they are in.
Basically, tragedy reminds me that we can all grow from our trials and learn from the trials of others. We face them differently when they are our own trials, but we can prepare for what may come our way from other’s trials.
Stop by Mama Kat’s to see what other people wrote about this week.
Twitter: stephsday
Beautifully stated, Amy. Tragedy does indeed serve as a “teacher” in many ways, reminding us what matters most.
Amy
Twitter: familytrifecta
Reply:
September 28th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
often I wish we could stop being taught by that darn teacher. 🙂
Twitter: motheringmayhem
I feel similarly. Whenever I see an ambulance with lights and siren blaring, I say a prayer for the people the ambulance is going to help. My grandmother had taught my mother this, and I have taught my daughter to do the same thing.
Amy
Twitter: familytrifecta
Reply:
September 28th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
I think that is an awesome practice. I think I’m going to tell my girls to do exactly what your grandma taught you and your mom to do.
Great post! Thanks for reminding me to check out MK’s prompts too. It inpsired me to go back to an old post of mine about the day my dad died. It’s a painful memory, but now that so many years have passed it’s almost a comforting memory. That is hard to explain. ANyway, I really loved this post! It’s so true that any loss around us can make us more thankful for what we have. : )
Great post on the subject! It is very hard to talk about tragedy. As we get older, we lose more and more friends and family. It’s nice to know we are not alone. I almost took this subject, but it probably would have taken me a few days to complete. I admire your strength!
Thanks for stopping by I Love My Job. I feel very lucky to be where I am. It may not be my dream job, but I live it like it is!
i love that you chose the same prompt. i completely agree with all you said, and i’m also a person who internalizes the grief and sadness of others. i guess it’s good that you didn’t have a specific tragedy to speak of.
Wow, this is a beautiful post. I’m very much the same way. I shed tears for people I don’t know and soul search a lot in these situations. Imagine if all the people in the world had this approach and what it would do to boost mankind.
Twitter: timecrafted
A tragedy rarely seems to serve a purpose, but there often is something to gain from them. For the person enduring and surviving through a tragedy, that purpose is often elusive and sometimes not a purpose at all, but moments and silver linings. For the people who witness the tragedy, the purpose I find is appreciation. Appreciating what and who I have in my life….not in comparison to what I witness, but that it serves as a reminder to cherish, appreciate, love, and simply enjoy, in the moment (to the best of my ability…I am human & it doesn’t always happen, but I try!) all the little bits & pieces of beauty that surrounds us.
I hopped here from Mama Kat’s and I enjoyed reading your perspective and how tragedy affects you, thanks for sharing! :>
I could not agree more. I want to be supportive, especially of my online friends who are going through a tragedy, and at the same time, it send my anxiety through the roof thinking about these things!