Good
morning to all of you!! It’s Friday – yay Yay YAY!!
I
hope you all have a great close to your work week (if you’re a Monday – Friday worker)
and a good start to your weekend! What’s
on your radar for fun this weekend – anything?
Or do you plan to do a glorious nothing, relaxing, unwinding from a busy
week? Maybe read a good book, try out a
new recipe, go for a nice long walk, take in a museum, good movie, or try a
delicious new restaurant, or have a last blast at the beach before school
starts back up??
Hmmmm…..So many possibilities….
As
I contemplate all these fun possibilities, I can’t help also thinking of all the
latest news headlines around the world today; the fighting, wars and inhumanities
overseas, the stifled and persecuted people, all the political back biting and mudslinging
going on here in the States – yuk! Heartache and irritation; compassion and
rejection, sympathy and dislike, affirmation and disbelief, all these emotions
and feelings swirling around inside me, all at the same time, Wow –
overwhelming to say the least!
But,
in thinking of all that, do you agree that we, as a people, should be
interested, if not actively involved in our national as well as international
affairs, in order to plan realistically for our own futures?
Another hmmmmm…
But
wait - no, I’m not going to get all political on you today. (whew!)
However,
those thoughts did lead me to contemplating this in regards to my activities
this weekend:
There
is definitely something to be said for kicking back, relaxing, and forgetting
about all that is going on in our lives and in the world. Sometimes we need that sort of disassociation
from all that stress, to unwind and rejuvenate, right? But when we are not in times of respite or
rejuvenation, should we spend our days in awareness of, or being mindful or
sensitive toward what is happening with those around us? Particularly to those in close proximity to
where we are? And should we temper our attitudes and/or behaviors accordingly?
Or do we just live our
lives how we like – doing what makes us feel good at the time?
This
question brings to mind my trip to New York City the first weekend after the
hurricane last November. It was the
weekend of the highly touted annual New York City Marathon and I met my niece,
Sunny, there to watch her run in the race.
As it turned out, after we arrived, along with thousands of other
runners, it was cancelled. Though we
were seriously disappointed the race was cancelled, we decided to do some sightseeing. We were going to be stuck there for the
weekend and it was New York City,
after all!!
In
the spirit of touristy excitement, I, my niece, and her mother (my beloved
wonderful sissy that I don’t get to see very often) 
What we didn’t realize at first was the subway
system had been down since the hurricane and only a few select trains were now
in operation. The train we were on was
packed to the gills. But as we looked
around us – I mean – as we took notice of those people around us – we began to
realize they were not happy, they were not even smiling. As a matter of fact, as we discreetly
surveyed them, we realized they were not only not smiling; some were looking rather hostile at us.
Some had looks of grief,
some utter despair.
And they all looked
exhausted.
Many looked as if they had
been in the same clothes for days.
Many looked as if they
hadn’t showered for days.
They looked like refugees
from a war zone.
The
thing was, the City was in major turmoil.
The hurricane had devastated a vast area of the City. Thousands of people were now homeless or
unable to access their homes. Power was
out, water was contaminated. Many were
hungry, unable to access food. Aid was
there, but they had to be able to get to it.
With the subway system down, and so much of the City dependent upon it,
so many were left without food, water, and shelter.
As
we rode to our stop, we sobered. We
began to talk with a few NYC residents on the train. We began to hear about the devastation.
We heard the despair in
their voices.
We saw the pain and
fatigue in their eyes.
We had no idea.
I
think we believed that because the Mayor initially chose to go ahead with the
Marathon, things weren’t that bad - that if they were, the Mayor would have
cancelled the Marathon before registration even began. But we were wrong. Understandably, the Mayor thought the City
needed the huge revenue the Marathon brings in each year, in order to help fund
the hurricane recovery. However, once
the Marathon masses converged on the City, it was clear the City could not adequately
handle or cope with them.
All
of the City’s resources needed to be concentrated and given to its citizens. They were in desperate need.
This was a time for
humanitarian aid, for sensitive, life sustaining care.
Not for entertaining
visitors.
We,
as well as thousands of others didn’t realize this when we first arrived. But it didn’t take long to figure it out, and
most of the marathoners immediately pitched in and spent the weekend helping
wherever they could.
But
on the subway that Friday, as my sister, my niece, and I realized the devastation
these people were experiencing, we had to temper our behavior. Yes, we wanted to be carefree and enjoy what
we could of our weekend in New York City, who knew if we would ever get back
here, but we had to take the feelings of these precious but overwhelmed people
into consideration. We needed to have
compassion for their suffering.
Laughing and playing
around on the subway became inappropriate.
Being sober and
considerate became right.
So,
in reflection, this leads back to my earlier question:
When
we are not in times of respite or rejuvenation, should we spend our days in awareness
of, or being mindful or sensitive toward what is happening with those around
us? Particularly to those in close
proximity to where we are? And should we temper our attitudes and/or behaviors
accordingly, even if that means missing out on something ourselves?
I
think this verse answers that question beautifully:
As a
matter of fact, do everything that way, heartily and freely to God’s glory. At
the same time, don’t be callous in your exercise of freedom, thoughtlessly
stepping on the toes of those who aren’t as free as you are. I try my best to
be considerate of everyone’s feelings in all these matters; I hope you will be,
too. Colossians 3:17 (The
Message)
So,
in conclusion, my thought and goal for this weekend would have to be this: that
whatever I decide to do, I will make good use of the free time I have, living
heartily, enjoying the freedoms I have been given and being thankful for them. And at the same time, I will make it
important to be mindful of those around me, being thoughtful and considerate of
their situation and feelings, and not carelessly stepping on their toes or
causing them further discomfort or harm.
Will
you join me in this goal?
‘Til
next time,
Love
and blessings,
Mindy
some of our NYC fun pictures
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2541266746800.68816.1707650748&type=1&l=1d35cfca3d
some of our NYC fun pictures
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2541266746800.68816.1707650748&type=1&l=1d35cfca3d
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