Today when I awoke the news on my phone was just horrific. A mass shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas killed 50 and injured 500 according to the early morning news report. As the day went on the deaths and injury numbers grew and we learned more about the gunman.
How does this happen? What happened to us that we have people who so horribly choose to harm others? It breaks my heart.
Earlier this year a family friend was killed in a really horrible manner. After her death I felt the guilt of not doing…something…I don’t think there is anything I could have done to prevented the incident, but we never know the impact we have. We never know how our movement into action may change the current for other events.
Incidents like this make me pause and wonder “Am I offering all I can to make life better for those I interact with at any given moment?” Our random interactions with strangers have positive and negative impacts that we may never know.
After the death of our friend I felt the need to pause, to slow down and be present for those around me. When an older woman missed her bus while talking to me I chose to wait for the next bus with her instead of leaving her to wait in the dark alone. When the guy at the car wash said he was having a great day I asked “Why?” and heard a beautiful story about his newborn daughter and how this time he was going to be a better dad. Those pauses where blessings to me and I know brought smiles to others.
Today after the violence of yesterday I am again reminded to pause. Have a question, let me help you find an answer. Need to be heard, let me hear you. Need to share your good news, let me smile with you. Need someone to wait in the dark with you, let me bring you a sense of security. Today I pause to be here for YOU.
Tomorrow, no need to bring me a reminder to pause. Yesterday brought me 559.