Since the fall of Kabul one week ago today, the drama in Afghanistan has continued to unfold, with heart-wrenching stories of attempts -- some successful, some failed -- to leave the country in the face of a new future under the Taliban.
Simultaneously, a calamity in our own back yard is ongoing, as impoverished Haiti has once again been hit with a devastating earthquake. Latest estimates put the death toll at over 2,200, with over 12,000 physically injured and fully 1 million left homeless.
How do we, for the most part comfortable and with our basic needs provided for, process bad news on such a massive scale?
It would be so much easier to just tune it out and focus on ourselves and meeting our own needs.
For one thing, we can give money. I fully realize that many of us are reluctant to give cash if we don't know exactly where it is going or how it is being used. But if you're open to giving to organizations who are doing good work with integrity, here are a few suggestions:
Haiti: Hope Force International, a Nashville-based nonprofit with whom my wife and I have worked as reservists. They have a permanent presence in Haiti and work as much as possible with local partners on the ground. ShelterBox does vital work with a unique approach in hard-hit areas. And there is always the American Red Cross.
Afghanistan: Click here for a list of reputable organizations already active in Afghanistan and/or among displaced Afghans worldwide. You will see some are faith-based and some are not.
But to the main point of this post. Some of us tend to carry the weight of dramatic world events around with us, and it affects us on a deep, soul level. Others of us are burdened by life events much closer to home; in the last week, for example, I have learned of a cancer diagnosis of a beloved friend, while another is on a long road of recovery from a stroke. Things like this have a way of shaking us out of any notion that our lives are independent of each other.
Particularly if you are an empath, how do you carry all this weight?
Two answers come to mind from my reading this week:
What the Japanese call ichigo ichie - perhaps summed up as an intentional appreciation of and attention to the present moment and the gifts it has to offer. More on this in a future post.
What I call amazability - In her latest book, Dusk, Night, Dawn, Anne Lamott reminds us of the importance, no matter what our age or station, of retaining the ability to be amazed. As a teacher, I am all too aware that if I am not "amazable" -- if I don't live in and convey a sense of wonder -- I can't expect my students to foster it in their own lives.
It's quite possible that the things that amaze me don't necessarily do the same for you. This is as it should be.
But the more we open ourselves to awe, the more we expand our ability to cope with the weight and pressures of the world.
Of no surprise to those who know me at all, very few things foster that sense of wonder in me like travel does; but I would be a fool to depend entirely on that, as evidenced in times such as these. Creation itself holds endless possibilities.
But rather than give a list of things that hold me in awe, I'd love to hear what has helped to grow your amazability. Please leave your comment below!
Have an amazing week.