It has been a difficult week in the American psyche, as we collectively struggle to understand the shooting of innocent people, including several government officials and a little girl, by a mentally unstable young adult who couldn't make sense of his own reality. It is frightening and horrifying to think that something as simple as attending a meet-and-greet with your congressperson could result in the death of a little girl who hadn't even had the chance to go to middle school.
It is so easy to focus on the many crises, both natural and man-made, that plague this world. There are floods and shootings, landslides and earthquakes; disease, wars, tornadoes and fires. The news cycle focuses on the catastrophic events, running them over and over in an endless loop until it seems we are showered with bad news 24/7.
But, as with every tragedy, out of this horrific situation have come some triumphant moments. It is the triumphs that make life worth living and we must celebrate them for the uplifting moments that they give to us. The valleys are deep and long for most of us, and feel endless. When the mountaintop is reached, we have to embrace the experience with abandon, throwing our arms out in joy and acceptance, affirming the positive moments for the miracles that they are.
The big miracles are easy to see, and to appreciate. A congresswoman should be dead after being shot in the head, but she is alive because of a 20 year old intern hired just five days earlier and who both knew how to stop her bleeding, and had the presence of mind to put his knowledge into action. Another man would have bled to death but for the presence of mind of a stranger, who saw his injury was life threatening, knew what to do, and did it. The gunman was stopped while he was trying to reload by a few people, including one with military training, who decided they weren't going to let him continue his killing spree. Heroes, all of them - everyday people who stepped up to a plate they didn't even know was ready and waiting for them until the moment it happened.
We all celebrate these big miracles, and rightly so, because they show the best of human nature, and make us all a little better. But there are other miracles that happen around us all the time, if we look for them, and I think they should be celebrated, too.
A new baby is a miracle. A budding flower is a miracle, as is a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. A pet saved, a disaster averted, an unexpected hug from a loved one - all can be miracles in the right time and place. Life is full of little miracles, if we look for them. I have been contemplating that this week, in the midst of the obvious miracles that we have seen in Tucson, and I think that I need to be more cognizant of their place in my life.
To me, it is a miracle that my dog is alive today, when he could be dead. I have worked with some phenomenal people this week who made things happen for clients they didn't even know, just because they are great people. I have had uplifting words offered at just the moment I needed them most, and the person had no idea how much they buoyed my spirits by their kindness. Spell check is a miracle every time it catches my mistakes. My truck doesn't need a new transmission when we thought it did, my washing machine didn't break down and need the repair I expected, my driveway got cleared of a heavy snowfall unexpectedly - all are surprising little miracles that made that day, and my life, a little better.
We can take many things away from the shooting in Tucson this week, and each of us brings our own unique perspective to the outcome. Where one person sees it as the obvious reason for gun control, another sees it as an equally obvious reason to allow concealed carry. Where one person sees a need for easier access to mental health care, others fear for unnecessary intervention. I have seen some expressions that congresspeople have no business meeting their constituents on the street corner where everyday people gather, while others abhor the idea that we would further isolate the people making the rules that the rest of us have to live with.
We have many deep and strongly held convictions in this nation today, and many of them are in opposition to each other. It is a difficult and contentious time in our nation's history, and it is easy to focus on the many obstacles to happiness in our country today.
But in the final analysis, the most important thing is what touches each of us personally, and in that, I have decided to focus on the little miracles, and leave the worries behind. My personal world is small, and I lead a small and insignificant life in comparison to a Congresswoman or a judge or a national leader. But even in my small life, I see the miracles every day, if I am willing to look for them. And in that, I think I will find a greater level of joy and peace and satisfaction in my daily living.
In each tragedy, there is a moment of triumph. I wish to everyone a week of small miracles, and the appreciation of what they bring to your life. Happy climbing, and celebrate the mountaintop!
