Friday, September 02, 2005

Tragedy and Personal Reflection

What a horrific week! The devastation in Mississippi, Alabama and of course in Louisiana is almost impossible to comprehend. So many questions and too few answers! How could this happen, why did this happen, what needs to happen to fix all those that have been affected? All we are left with is speculation and shock that this is actually happening right here in our own country!

I was telling my wife just the other day how the stress of a particular project I have been working on had been driving me nuts. I had been really feeling sorry for myself. The odds weren’t playing in my favor. I haven’t achieved this, haven’t accomplished that and I am not yet reaching the results that I want and therefore it has me angry, frustrated, worried and unhappy. Yet when I compare what I am going through in my own mind to those who, right now are having to deal with complete and utter loss; loss of families, loss of their homes, their businesses, their lives as they once knew it. I just plain feel stupid for worrying about my minor crap.

So why BLOG about this? How many of us went to bed in a comfortable bed last night? How many of us took a hot shower this morning. How many of us got up during the football game last night and got a cold drink? How many of us locked our homes as we left for work or school knowing full well that we could expect to see our things when we return home tonight?

This week has proven several things to me. No matter how big my personal or professional obstacles might be, they are nothing compared to the millions who have been affected by this most recent tragedy. It has given me yet another reason to slow down and take notice of all that I have and all that is near and dear to my heart. I give thanks for all the blessings I have in my life; especially my family, my friends, those that I have crossed paths with because of my book or just by happenstance writing this BLOG.

I awake today with a new sense of appreciation for that which life has offered me and allows me to still have today and express a sincere concern for those that I can not immediately help.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Steve,
I agree with your sentiments - I think these things happen around us to make us do just that - it is the darkness that makes us contrast and appreciate the light - I too feel blessed and feel a renewed surge of appreciation for the good things we have - this of course alwasy dissipates over time - we are after all human - but each occurance gives us a surge and time of reflection that we need - I guess a taks we all have as friends is to remind each other of our blessings especially when things look bad. That is a gift in of itself. Thanks for the reminder.

Michael

Anonymous said...

Amen!

I once heard that God doesn't give us more {problems} than we can handle. It is a shame that for many of us we get so caught up in our own little world of worrying about if our son made the "A" team or "B" team that we miss what is really important.

Seeing what happened in the New Orleans area is so bad that we should share the discussions about it with our friends, neighbors and especially our Children, so that all are reminded just how well we have it.