Relativity

This is not about Einstein, or physics. Nothing about the speed of light or the mass of a photon. It is about gravity; not the force that holds us down, but gravity as in something that is serious, or grave or deadly.

There have been plenty of examples of gravity lately, of those things that are serious; things that lead to the grave. The fighting in Libya where people are dying to be free. The unimaginable horror and devastation that hit Japan. My mind cannot conceive of what these people are suffering. I see brief news clips on-line, or hear stories on the radio but...I distance myself, on purpose. That is a hard admission to make. Taken the wrong way my admission might paint me as some kind of uncaring bastard. I mean, those people really have it rough. What do I have in my life that is more important than reaching out to help those in need?

This is where the relativity comes in. A couple weeks ago my sister-in-law was told she has breast cancer. No one needs cancer. I think I said something to that effect in a blog, long ago. Judy definitely does not need this shit. Terry and Judy were instrumental in my recovery. They journeyed to Bemidji to spend time with us and Terry was a rock when Karen needed one in the long wait for me to come out of surgery. They put us on umpteen prayer chains and checked in on us the whole way. Terry had a pacemaker installed not long ago. They are happily retired, living life and now this.

The past month has been tough for Karen. She was diagnosed with diverticulitis and it has been difficult watching her struggle with the pain and discomfort. She is better now but still wary of what she eats, for fear of triggering another attack.

And we are waiting for news on a dear friend who will be undergoing a biopsy soon. The very word-biopsy- conjures up all the worst we can imagine. So now we are hoping and praying for the best possible report.

So, while all these terrible events are happening on the other side of the world, we have been dealing with things that are in our face, up close and personal. It isn't that none of us involved don't care. It is just that we have these other things that are happening to us, or to our loved ones; our relatives.

I think it is human nature to judge what is happening against what is happening to us, or has happened to us in the past. We gauge our discomfort relative to past experience or what others have experienced. We tend to focus on ourselves and our world because it is immediate and, it is about us. I spent a lot of time this winter focused on what I wanted. I had to have a kind of wake-up call to make me pay better attention to the other very real needs of my life with Karen.

I have been thinking about this for a while. Maybe I should have thought about it more before I put it on the blog. Maybe I should have kept it all to myself but now it is out there. I am not really sure where I am going with this but I think it comes down to these things. Reach out in prayer and peace to those people in Japan and the Mid-East, who are struggling and suffering. Help in whatever ways you are comfortable with. And don't forget about those loved ones and friends that are close to you. Sometimes the best thing we can do to help is to work on those things are closest in our lives. Making our own personal worlds better, making them places of love and peace, does have an impact far beyond what we can see or know.

Peace and love to you all.
Mike