IT’S NOT WHAT YOU LOOK AT THAT MATTERS….BUT WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO SEE.

 Author unknown   

This quote makes so much sense to me today.  Lately, I have felt myself, sort of slipping. 

If you have been reading SCREAMS for a while, then you know that our house burned down last year…..and around the same time almost a dozen friends or family members died suddenly in random events.  One after the other—-every time we turned around. We quit asking, “What else can happen??”

In the last two weeks, alone, here’s a  run down of only some of the bad or frightening  news at our house.  Buckle up.

We learned of  a dear friend’s sudden brush with death. He went for a  regular check up and came home 5 days later, having had a quadruple by-pass.  Another brush with a near-fatal outcome—-my cousin, who was my smart, funny, hunky hero, when I was a child—went to the emergency room with a terrible headache, which led to his life threatening brain surgery the next day. 

The murder of two honors students at University of Texas;  then,  the fatal plane crash of two other friends hit  us, within one degree of separation, the very next day.  After that,  friends informed us about the burglary of  their business, the pnuemonia  and hospitilization of another, the purse snatching-then-identity theft of another, plus the death of beloved parents of three different friends.  All of this, came crashing in, while we were absorbing the devastating news of cancer in our family.  Sheesh. 

YO-YO-HEAVE-HO………

But, wait……….focusing on the tragic nature of these things—can become a way of life—a sort of perpetual YO-YO-HEAVE-HO–thinking.  The fascinating  fragility of life can become a depressing and laborious trap to fall into.  We all know people who seem to thrive on the tragic drama that life can be.  Most of the time—-we run from them.  

 In his book, A NEW EARTH, Ekhart Tolle,  identifed this way of life as living in THE PAIN BODY. The bad news begins to actually create a heightened sense of being fully alive–an adrenaline rush.  A rush that can be renewed daily, by just watching TV news.  But, hang on, there is an even bigger trap, than living in lingering sadness about what we see in the world.

WATCH OUT!

This whole PAIN BODY thing can be very tricky.  The ego may be on a mission, here.   It can justify the defeat of your dreams—because—-who wants to stick their necks out into this evil world?  We can manipulate ourselves right into believing that, there is no point in trying, in the first place.  It’s just a rat race out there.  And, the rats are winning.

WE CALL THIS  ”ENTERTAINMENT”?

Shows like CSI, LAW & ORDER, CRIMINAL MINDS, AMERICA’S MOST WANTED,  feed this morose sense of hopelessness—of what’s-the-use-ness–felt by so many.  We seem to be a nation with one foot, firmly planted in the pain-body way of thinking—-otherwise, these highly rated, long-running shows would not exist.  But, I believe  they feed our fear—rather than our faith. 

We need our faith—– in God, in ourselves and in one another.

There is another side to this coin of circumstances. There is a way to dismiss the pull of the PAIN BODY. Here are some examples:

Our friend was so fortunate to have excellent and astute medical care by a doctor who was paying attention. Bravo.  His heart surgery not only saved his life, but also, as a result, he has experienced a long-overdue outpouring of love and support from family and friends.  His heart is full….and on the way to being completely well.  The same is true for my cousin—-opening up expressions of love and concern that may not have come in any other way.  It can also remind the rest of us to stay in touch with the ones we love and let them know it!

My friend, with pneumonia needed a rest from the onslaught of overwhelming issues in her life.  Her body did for her, what she would not do for herself.  She got rest, and flowers, and perspective on how to handle what was ahead.

The college kids in Austin—their lives….deaths—will now be used as a wake-up call for so many.  Drugs, even the recreational/social ones, that can seem so glam and sophisticated,  can still get you into terrible trouble.  Who knows how many lives will be changed for the better, or even saved, because they lived exactly as they did?

When a beloved parent or friend dies—-yes, we can be sad for their loss—-but here is the imperative for us.  We can honor their lives,  and the impact they had on us—-ONLY, by living fully, ourselves. 

And, so it goes—with each event—there are differing sides of the coin—-each of which are equally powerful and long lasting in its effect on us.  It’s our choice.

It  is possible to look at all the facts—-taking in all the details both light and dark—denying nothing—and still know in your heart of hearts that a silver lining exists if we chose to see it.  Yes, it  may take more effort in some cases, but the desire to seek it out and the joy that comes from finding it,  IS….. what makes life worth living—in all its magnificence and messiness,  in all ways, always.