Sunday Serenity: Empathy Should Know No Bounds

 

{courtesy of abcnews.com}

Mother Nature has certainly been busy in the Southern United States and the Caribbean Islands these past few weeks.  With Hurricane Harvey in Texas, Hurricane Irma pounding the tiny islands off the American mainland (and is beginning to hit Southern Florida), there is also Hurricane Katia striking Mexico. Hurricane Jose is making an appearance in the Caribbean directly after Irma’s destruction this past week.

I was talking with someone the other day about Mother Nature’s recent mayhem, when they said rather flippantly, “Well, at least I’m not there.”  I replied, “Yes, but what if you were there? What if you were in the path of a dangerous hurricane hurling itself towards your city?” I saw shoulders shrugged in lieu of an audible answer, but it spoke louder than any words could have at that moment.  I guess my own ‘sound of silence’ prodded a verbal answer:  “Well don’t get me wrong, I feel bad for those people, but I sure am glad it’s not me.”

To say I was a bit shocked is an understatement.  Then again, should I be? I mean, sometimes I honestly wonder if people are so self-absorbed they just don’t want to think about others.  I’m just hoping that along with the, “Whew, I’m glad I’m not in the hurricane path”, (or for that matter, about anything else unpleasant) that we take a moment to say, “But I’m sending good thoughts and prayers to those that are affected.”  I’m hoping we add sincere and empathetic energy toward anyone in a situation that they’d rather not find themselves in at any given moment.

If we can try to feel what it must be like to be in that experience and send our best thoughts and hopes out to others, why, then I would say we might just be aware of the human connected-ness we all share.  My belief is that we are all connected; if this is so, then why would you want to dismiss those on the planet that are in harm’s way, or not as fortunate as you are?

In case you are wondering, I did send good thoughts to the person who I had the little convo with this past week.  Then again, I wouldn’t want to be in THEIR un-empathetic shoes, would I?

{courtesy of sayquotable.com}