I still sometimes find myself slipping into those nasty old patterns and reacting to the stimuli around me instead of standing apart without engaging. I was reminded of how drastically polarized our world has become when I read a thoughtful yet terribly flawed essay this morning. The message was basically that my opinions (as in the author’s) and my ideals are the only true and righteous ones, and if you disagree with me, you are stupid, ignorant of history and incapable of forming an intelligent counter-argument. Whether it’s on the world stage, the national stage, or on the neighborhood streets, that seems to be who and what we are becoming. There is no middle ground, no acceptable compromise, only the intransient standard emblazoned with the motto, “If you’re not with me, you’re against me. And if you’re against me, you’re dead wrong.” And then you are deleted…
My reality check came this week as I researched in depth the conditions of the Syrian refugee settlements in Lebanon. My protagonist traveled to Beirut in search of a female refugee who had been enslaved and then turned to prostitution as the best of all possible options for an Arab woman in the Middle East. As I delved into the conditions of the camps in Beirut, I was shamed into a silent depression. I was forced once again to acknowledge how embarrassingly petty the issues are that I am complaining about. From neighborhood disputes, to finishing my MS before the middle of July, to “putting up with” the inconveniences of a remodel. My life is BLESSED. BEYOND BLESSED. And I am eternally grateful.
As the old serenity prayer goes, I must accept the things I cannot change. I cannot change petty squabbles without consensus any more that I can change the conditions in a refugee camp in Lebanon. So be it. But I can give thanks for the abundance in my life every day and keep my heart and mind open to all that is good around me. I can and have set an intention to send positive energy to those who are suffering through no fault of their own, like the child on my post.
As for the rest? Love and Bless and Release…seems to be a recurring theme, n’est-ce pas?
Namaste and Pura Vida
Jun. 7, 2018
Judy Richter 