I don’t know why bad things happen-Not really running related.
I don’t know why it was the month LB was born that Hurricane Katrina hit, or barely a year ago that Haiti was hit with a devastating earthquake, followed by one in China, now Japan. I remember sitting on my couch watching the news covering the Haiti earthquake and I was crying. LB came up to me, gave me a hug and asked me what was wrong. He sat on my lap and we watched. It is so important to teach children empathy. But we couldn’t really do anything other than donate money and offer prayers.
When these things happen I can’t help but evaluate and re-evaluate my life and the things that I feel matter. Did it really matter that I misread the spin schedule yesterday and showed up three hours early for class? Or that I was unable to get my iPod headphone cords untangled yesterday while trying to quickly finish my workout? Did I really need to get so grumpy and frustrated?
How about the frustration I felt early this morning, before I even knew that Japan had been devastated, when my water heater was spraying water all over my laundry room and spilling down the drywall? Yes, all of these are inconvenient and not cool but in the scheme of things-insignificant.
So today I have put things back into perspective. I am grateful for my freedoms, my ability to run and be active, my home, my family and my health. And today I wish I could do something to help others. I hate feeling helpless to help others. Someday I will be able to do more…like the when LB was a month old, I sat in my recliner looking at him, so small and beautiful, so helpless. I thought about the women who were actually in the hospital in New Orleans, with their new babies too. I wanted to go and to help, but I couldn’t.
In the mean time I have joined a simple challenge on Dailymile HERE and committed to run one mile for the earthquake and those affected. It doesn’t seem enough, but what can I do? What can you do? What can we do?
Thanks for listening to me get this off my chest.
Great post. I tend to freak out about little unimportant things as well when it means nothing in the big picture. Thanks for the reminder :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post and reminder not to sweat the little stuff.
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ReplyDeletevery true! its so sad that it takes such tragedy to remind us that our worries are often minor....i am SO guilty of this....thanks for reminding me!
ReplyDeleteIt's so hard to watch all this stuff happen and feel so helpless. But all we can do is donate and pray. I remember when 9/11 happenend my little guy was only 5 months old and all I could do was sit there hold him and cry for these families.
ReplyDeleteI always have to re-evaluate why I'm actually upset and take a deep breath and remember how fortunate I am.
Great post!
ReplyDeleteKeep your eye on the big picture and don't let the small stuff get ya' down. Life will throw a curve ball the moment you're not ready to take it.
Love it! I still remember where I was when I heard about 9/11, as well as Haiti and other natural disasters. It is so hard to watch, and such a good reminder as to what we are SO blessed with
ReplyDeleteFabulous perspective. I was set to fly back to cali on 9/12/01...will never forget 9/11.
ReplyDeleteThese disaters make me clamp my mouth shut when I want to complain!
Yeah, can't forget about 9/11! Such a tragedy and I know we all remember exactly where we were at that moment. And the other Tsunami-was that 2006? In Indonesia and Thailand? So many things that are so significant...so heartbreaking...
ReplyDeleteThanks guys for listening to me today. I guess I just had this stuff on my heart and mind.
Today I've been so frustrated with solving a problem with work that I just wanted to put my head down on my desk and cry. Still do a little. But I know eventually I will overcome these challenges like I always do. As they say, this too shall pass. My problems are small compared to others. Nice post.
ReplyDeleteI feel this same way every time something like this happens. Wish I had some answers for ya.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. There's more to life than the small stuff.
ReplyDeletetouching post...i felt the same way this morning. we really need to just soak up the good stuff and enjoy life. thanks.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, we get pretty caught up in our routines and forget that someone just escaped death from flying skyscraper yesterday and that someone else didn't. I'll be happy to run a mile! Thanks for the link!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I often wonder the same things and it really helps me put things in perspective. I feel like more natural disasters have been happening more regularly, including flooding. I moved out of Mississippi three months prior to Hurricane Katrina and heard from many friends the devastation it caused. I am just thankful that I have never personally had to deal with such a thing. My prayers go out to those in Japan.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post. I so need to teach myself this lesson as I've been obsessing and focusing on things, that really- in the big picture of life....don't matter much. Thanks for writing..... ;-)
ReplyDeleteSomething like this definitely puts things in perspective.
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