Sometimes it feels like all is lost. So often we amplify the
responses in our heads with the worst sort of things.
The car breaking down and not having the money to get it
fixed.
The light bill is past due, and the fear of having the
electricity shut off.
A pencil breaking in the middle of a test, all sorts of
things.
And for the moment, we panic not knowing what to do.
Funny because I’ve lived through each and every one of these
situations in my lifetime. Cars breaking down on a lonely stretch of road, on
the Interstate with the kids in tow. The power getting shut-off multiple times
in the summer, winter, and fall.
And with each of those times, it was up to me to pull up my
“big boy panties” and get things done. You can ask my kids, although they may
not tell you, we had it rough for a long time. But with each setback it made
them tougher so they could face the roadblocks in their lives. Fortunately for
us there wasn’t too many physical aftereffects, psychological maybe, but not
physical.
It seems I was the one that bore the biggest brunt there.
With all my mental health issues and later physical health issues, my crew has
been through the ringer.
But we have all survived.
When I see someone in a bad situation, my heart goes out for
them. Much like Sister Husband in Where the Heart Is, I’m a sucker for a
hard luck story. But there are so many hard-luck stories to mend out there. So
often I feel overwhelmed by it all.
My stone-cold emotions want to say, “My four and no more”.
But I can’t help myself, because I know prayerful
condolences and motivational slogans don’t mean shit to an empty belly. But
we’ve reduced charity to begging while we pump billions of dollars into
building funds and “special offerings”.
I know a great number of people who are working are
suffering at the hand of the Master Grifter Class. But I see real suffering,
the kind that comes from the gut.
So why not help those with more than just platitudes and
casual words.
#Charity #Empathy #Compassion #Stress #MentalHealth
Comments
Post a Comment