OUR NEW REALITY

It is so hard to go about life and not feel concerned with what's going on in the world today.  Terrorist attacks, suicide bombings, domestic terrorism, shootings at malls and theaters. It is a world gone astray.

It is so frustrating to feel so helpless and worried at the thought, that at any moment, some extremists/fanatics can come and wreak havoc here in the US.    I never worried before about letting my teenager go with friends to the movies (not in that kind of way,) or worrying about our older children getting on an airplane or letting my younger children go enjoy a hockey game in an arena filled with thousands of people.  I use to worry, they might get lost or talk to a stranger, at the very worst. Now, thoughts of strangers with suicide vest, sneak into the very corners of my thoughts, despite all my positive thinking.  How can I not, (how can we not,) face the fact that this is a whole new scary world.

How do you manage living your life as "normal" vs. living with genuine fear of things that are now very plausible?  I most definitely, know that anything can happen to anyone at any given time but this my friends, is a whole new scary reality we are living.

I mean, we are living in a world where TSA is taking a away toys from a 5-year old at airport security!  We have lost all common sense, mostly because of the fear that has been inflicted upon us by these so called extremists, whose only goal is world domination.  Sure, it sounds like a plot from a movie but this is our new reality!

As I write this, in a (cathartic) attempt to address my concerns, I recognize that there truly is not much we can do, other than to teach our children to have the foresight to recognize when something seems "odd" or wrong, to implement an emergency plan as best we can, as I would if we were preparing for a natural disaster, like the hurricanes we have endured here in Florida. And to teach my kids to be good to people, to learn to live with people and teach them tolerance. Ultimately, the real problem stems from children who are not taught love and compassion. Hate stems from children who are brought up and bred in a world of hate and intolerance of others.  

What I can do, what we can do, is the opposite! Teach Love. Teach Compassion. Teach Tolerance.  We have to do our part, even if now it may seem fruitless.  "It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness, meaning, in the face of bad times or hopelessness, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response than to complain about the situation."

And ultimately, we must pray or send positive energy into the Universe- so that somehow, our world will rid itself of such hate and evil.

One of my favorite quotes is: "The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." ~ Albert Einstein.

What we can do, is continue going to the theater, the arenas, the restaurants, the malls etc...and simply being aware of our surroundings, while continuing to have a good time for whatever time we have here on Earth because we all know, time is promised to no one!

My wish is that my children will have health, love and peace in their lives and that they live in a world that seeks longevity, not annihilation. With all my heart & soul, I pray for God to watch over me and my family and all of you and for strength and courage. I pray to live a life with passion, faith, tolerance and enthusiasm. I pray for the health of this world and that we may all live in peace for a longtime to come!

So despite the fact that I do have genuine concerns, I guess I, and all of us, must ultimately continue living our lives as best we can, fighting evil with love and compassion with this, our new reality.

~LR