With all of the tragedies that have occurred or unfolded over the last week, and even over the past few years or decade, it is easy to focus on the bad, ultimately filling yourself with rage or confusion and a new outlook on our country and life in general. While it is without a doubt valid to be angry about such heartbreaking circumstances, a healthier way to cope with the chaos of our world is to think about the good in even the worst of situations.
Every single incident that occurs in our country is widely covered on the news and throughout social media. Hundreds of articles are being written and released at this very moment about the most recent tragedy answering the countless questions that every person is wondering and waiting to put their minds at ease about. What was the timeline of events leading up to it? Who committed such a crime? What was his/her motive? Who were the victims? Perhaps the most important yet unanswered question, though, is how we can move past it as a country? Think about it: in all of the shootings in recent decades, we have all had to struggle with the fear of the unknown for a few days or even weeks after the tragedy, walking around skeptical of every passing person and every building we enter. Eventually, we learn to move on in our own ways, whether it is pretending that it never happened, donating money to the community and/or families impacted, or even taking any concerns to legislation to encourage change.
Undoubtedly, legislators and leaders have done an excellent job at doing all they can to prevent any future disasters, and copycat tragedies have absolutely been prevented because of this. It is clear at this point, though, that these situations can unfold at any given place at any given time. All we can do is be prepared to the best of our ability and to find the good in any situation. Through each tragedy and through each life that is shaken to the core, we all learn important lessons that make us cherish every minute we spend on this planet. We learn to hold our loved ones closer, to live each day like it is our last, to take the proper precautions to fight for our lives if/when the worst happens, and to make the most of our short time on this earth.
It isn’t fair that innocent lives have been taken and/or forever disrupted in the blink of an eye. It is tragic, heartbreaking, and disappointing that this is the world that we live in and that we must be on the edge of our seat at every moment to stay safe. If anything, our country comes together when we are at our low points in order to lift up those who are suffering and repair the damage done to the communities that are impacted by such catastrophes, as it should. We never really move on or forget about the tragic occurrences; they will always be in the back of our minds acting as a lesson learned, paying tribute to those lives lost and preventing any other from being taken.
My heart goes out to each and every person who is grieving the loss of loved ones whose lives were cut short.
