š I was watching the news yesterday (which by the way I wish I never did, maybe some other time would have been fine, if only I could unsee what I saw, unfeel what I felt) I could feel my stomach churning, heart aching at the stories of pain and suffering that seem to be everywhere.
Oh, God!!! the world is a mess. It has become a canvas of sadness, where innocent lives are brushed with the harsh strokes of cruelty. And at that painful, stomach-churning, heart-aching moment, I was forced to ask myself, "Why? Why must we endure such darkness?"
It wasn't the first time I was seeing something like that on the news, I knew it all too well, as a matter of fact, I have seen, watched, and heard worse, from the painful screams from wars, to illness, diseases, death, manslaughter, victims of terrorism, refugees... the list goes on. But!! for some reason this time it felt different, maybe I am becoming too old or it was just the right mix of emotions and psychology in play.
It felt so different that tears came running down my face (someone must have left the dam open this time) frankly I can't remember the last time I cried. Yeah, I had to call myself to order asking myself "What the hell is wrong with you, so you can't watch the news with a straight face" the more I thought about this, the more the tears came, warm, clear and salty, and yep, of course, I turned off the TV, I just couldn't take it ...
This is for you, whoever you are, reading this, take a step back and think about the people we encounter every day ā our friends, our families, our neighbors. Have you ever heard a story from someone's life that left you feeling a lump in your throat? Perhaps it's the person who battled loneliness, depression, the one who's faced discrimination, one who was ostracized, or the one who's known the bitterness of poverty and the extreme cruelty of mankind. These stories remind us that beneath the surface of our daily lives lies a dark underworld of pain that's all too real.
But here's something else to consider: Have you ever extended a hand to someone who's hurting? A simple gesture, a kind word ā these can be like lifelines thrown to those adrift in the sea of cruelty. It's these small acts of compassion that remind us that even in the bleakest moments, humanity still has the power to shine through.
The cruelty doesn't stop at humans; it extends to our fellow creatures too. Think about the animals subjected to neglect, abuse, and exploitation. Have you ever looked into the eyes of an innocent being and felt an ache deep within your chest? It's as if their pain becomes your pain, and we can't help but wonder how such cruelty can exist in a world that's also capable of so much beauty.
Trust me, I am not usually like this, the "world peace" kind of person, end world hunger, end poverty, end human cruelty, stop animal cruelty... that kind of thing... maybe I hit my head too hard or something, hopefully, I would be back to normal in the next 24 or 48 hours probably because this freaking hurts. I can hear somebody saying I shouldn't be disheartened by these thoughts, Instead, I should just channel that sadness into something more, like a catalyst for change, Oh!!! those are just my thoughts, maybe I have started hearing voices, maybe not.
But frankly, we might not have the power to erase all the suffering in the world, but we do have the power to create pockets of light amidst the darkness. There is always one thing you can do, we can do today, tomorrow, or in the near future to alleviate even a tiny bit of world suffering, and cruelty. Yeah, it could be as simple as volunteering your time, raising awareness, or making a conscious effort to be more understanding and empathetic, the list of good deeds goes on
We have the potential to be the spark that ignites a chain reaction of goodness. So, when next you walk in the street, turn to somebody, anybody within range, and share your thoughts. How does the cruelty of this world affect you? What small action can you take to make a difference?
Remember, in a world that can sometimes feel overwhelmingly cruel, it's these small, interactive steps that have the power to remind us that we're not alone ā that we're all in this together, trying to make the world a little less cruel, a little more kind.