It isn't fair! :-(
Phew... I'm feeling such a sadness right now. I've gone back to work this week, and I'm utterly exhausted, nearly every night falling asleep on the sofa, whilst waiting hopefully (and yet fruitlessly) for my eldest to finish with his school coursework at a reasonable time! I think this tiredness I'm feeling might be to do with my being ill last week, or it might be due to my hypothyroidism, but whenever anyone tells me about someone they know having cancer (and this is happening a lot with the head shave fundraising, it gets to me so strongly I could weep constantly...
Today, at school, I was told of someone's friend; picking up my daughter from Brownies, I heard of others; when I checked out my Baring it all comments, there's another person who's been touched by it; then I went to check my mail, and a story of a sweet little boy, Jack, that I've been following for some time now totally blew me away... so much so that even though I'm struggling to think how I'm going to afford Christmas this year (which is a special one, because the children will be with me) I still felt I just had to make a donation, and to try and help the little lad have a chance of recovery. Jeez, it just isn't fair that such a young soul should have to live a life with this threat hanging over him!
7 Comments:
Annelisa..you are an amazing person...I am so filled I can not say any more than..I am so very glad to know you..take care my friend..m
Hi Annelisa,
not wanting to sound too cold
but much sadness I do not behold
Suffering & pain do disturb me
but death is something inevitable
something even the stars must see
it befalls even the young & able!
I once heard a friend say what a curse to be rich would be, to walk the streets and all the beggars to see - what did Buddha, a rich and earthly prince do, when out of his golden palace, into the 'real' world of poverty & need, sorrow & pain, he did care to venture ...
did he give all his riches away?
(well he gave up his palace stay)
did he perform free miracle cures?
(well he gave many blessings away)
or did he choose to be unaffected?
(and under a tree decided to stay)
did he choose sadness and to cry?
(or simply smile and be on his way)
I know how you feel about that it is alway's so hard to watch a child go through something like this ,and I know how you feel I have a friend that has a granddoughter that has cancer ,and every time that I see that child I cry because I feel so much for her she is only 5. I also have been a part of the st. jude's trail ride for the past 3 years ,and have helped them rase over $500.00 that is why I did that is because of that little girl or little boy out there because they need my help to stay alive .
Hope
Ah, Madd - I'm really glad to know you too!
Quasar9- Could it be you don't feel the sadness because you distance yourself from it? Could it be that you haven't let people so close that the fear of losing them enters your life?
I know that death and suffering touch on lives old and young, from all walks... but that doesn't make me feel any less about it.
When I see little kids like Jack, and what he's going through, I imagine what it would be like if it were one of my own (as it so easily could be), and imagine what it must be like for the families of those kids. It is a real horror that you live with as a parent.
There's no philosophising it away. There's no 'it happens and be 'unaffected''. Life is life. That doesn't mean we should deaden our feelings about life events. It doesn't mean we should simply accept it either (if we did that, there would be no change). But we can learn to deal with these things.
Death may be inevitable, but that doesn't always make you ready for it, nor ready to accept it.
I'm not sure if you're lucky or unlucky not to feel for others' suffering and pain!
Nice one, Hope! Well done for your part in the fundraising! I always feel that, no matter how little I think I've got, I'm always more well off than others in the world. There's always the space to give more, and always someone who would benefit.
It's such a shame about your friend's granddaughter. I hope someone somewhere can help her. I'll cross my fingers!
Hi Annelisa,
didn't mean to sound unsympathetic
just expressing how powerless I felt at the unfolding of events.
Human disease, human pain & suffering are the strangest of all events in the Universe.
But yes, I'll confess to remaining detached or aloof - except when I'm hurting, then I'll scream blue
But the buddha teaching is that whilst we may have an opinion about victims of unjust wars, or victims of disease - we should not let it be a drain on us or our ability to enjoy life.
For sure, for sure it is commendable that there are people who care - and nurse - and treat - and even fundraise, by giving up their Lady Godiva length hair.
Ah. Powerlessness is something I know a lot about, Q9!
Funny you can say you'll remain 'detached or aloof', when I know you are bursting at the seams with your passion about things (cf Sultana Fling comments!!! :-)
So, no use pretending you don't care about stuff, and you're distanced from it!
And the wise old buddha might be right in saying that we should still enjoy the moments in life we can. But I don't think that excludes feeling for others.
I admit it is a drain sometimes, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy life. In fact it makes me so aware of every precious moment. You don't get that feeling, if you haven't been close to losing your own, or someone dear to you,'s life.
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