How is it that we are living through an unthinkable period in world history? If presented with a screenplay that included everything we are experiencing, the former Hollywood executive in me would say that there is no way that all this tragedy—all at once—would be believable in a movie.
We are living through it in real time, so it’s not like I need to point out that the number of mass school shootings—the gunning down of innocent students and teachers in a place that is supposed to be safe—is simply unconscionable.
Nor do I need to talk about climate change with extreme temperatures from polar vortexes to heat domes and droughts, and increasing severe storms such as hurricanes and nor’easters. Just ask my Texas friends who lived through seven days without heat or electricity when the state power grid failed during the February 2021 winter freeze. They lived a dystopian existence as they created bed sheet tents in their houses where family members huddled together hoping their collective body temperatures would keep them warm.
I also don’t need to mention the deadly wildfires sweeping the west, obliterating the homes of two of my friends, and taking the lives of so many others. And then there’s the Supreme Court readying itself to tell women that we have no right to make choices about our own bodies. That goes hand in hand with the partisanship in politics that has divided our country, as well as the nonsensical and dangerous conspiracy theories that have gripped seemingly intelligent people. And of course, there’s Russia’s unprovoked, brutal invasion of Ukraine.
And let’s not forget about the ongoing worldwide pandemic that has killed millions and is now in its third year.
No, I don’t need to mention any of these things because we are all reminded every day that we are living on a frightening, angry, and treacherous planet. Quite simply, the world is an ugly place.
But it is also shockingly, achingly, beautiful.
So much beauty exists, but it’s disguised as the ordinary, so we don’t realize it is there. When the catastrophic nature of the state of the world gets to be too much, all we need to do is stop, take a breath, and open our eyes to the splendor surrounding us.
The woods of Shama Sanctuary (what we call our home) are filled with tulip trees. They are majestic hardwood trees that can stand 90 – 150 feet tall. Most of what we see is the long, stately, straight trunk of the tree, with the leafy branches towering so high overhead that we don’t even think about them. But once a year, around this time, these trees shower us with beauty and drop goblet-shaped tulip flowers all over the yard. The fragrant blooms are a dramatic rainbow of lime-green, yellow, and orange, and it’s awe-inspiring to think about all the hummingbirds, bees, and swallowtail butterflies having pollinator parties so high above—while we are completely oblivious down below.
One morning this week I was sitting outside looking up at one of the tulip trees, thinking about how the good in the world really does outweigh all the bad, but I often forget to look for it. As if to prove my point, a hummingbird flew right up to my red coffee mug, inspecting it to see if it offered any nectar. And this morning, I walked outside to see a fawn taking a nap in the clover. It opened one eye and looked at me, and then settled back into its slumber.
The wonderful, spectacular, glorious part of the world isn’t limited to nature. Just look at all the first responders who regularly put their lives on the line to help others, including teachers who educate our children at the risk of another senseless shooting. Every day in all our communities, neighbors are helping neighbors (just yesterday mine came over with his riding mower to cut our grass because our mower is broken).
The tender acts of love in the world include a man grabbing a box of cereal off the top shelf for a hunched-over elderly woman. It’s in the smile I exchanged with someone I passed on a hike. It can be found in the bagpipe music that a man plays at the state park near our house, and with the mailman who drove up our very long driveway to drop a package at our door instead of leaving it at the street. I experience an act of love every night when my husband washes dishes after dinner, or when he takes our dog out at night in the rain so that I don’t have to.
My goodness, when we really pay attention, it’s clear that every day we are all surrounded by beauty, love, kindness, and grace. If we consciously take moments each day to notice these things, our hearts will be full, and we are less likely to be knocked off our foundation when the next tragic headline hits the newsstand.
A few days ago, I gathered up an armful of tulip flowers and put them in a large bowl of water. It’s a gorgeous centerpiece that reminds me to pause what I’m doing and notice the simple miracles all around me.
The world is a magnificent place, and we are lucky to live in it.
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