Have you ever received a package in the mail with the label, “Fragile, please handle with care”? When you do, you know that you need to be careful. You try not to drop it and when you open it, and it is likely wrapped in bubble wrap, newspaper, or some of type of packing material to keep it safe. Whatever is inside is breakable and precious.
One lesson I’m hoping we’ve learned over the past 15 months is that many things in life are fragile. Do we need more reminders that life is short, friends and family are important, sometimes we need to take care of each other, and sometimes we need to ask for help? Lately I’ve been thinking about the fragile nature of life, of our way of life, and of many things that we hold dear.
In recent years we’ve seen a great deal of anger and mistrust in our society. The media, and social media, have fueled the fire. Friends and family fighting with one another over a social media post. Keyboard warriors trying to prove a point and “be right” at the expense of offending others who don’t agree with them. Individuals acting with no respect or care for others. No one is certain what to believe regarding the Covid pandemic. Do I trust the vaccine? Should I still wear a mask? Claims made about the validity of an election being stolen. It seems to me the trend is recent years’, and the currency of the media, has been to help sow the seeds of distrust. We are taking the fragile box that contains our way of life and dropping it down the stairs.
No one knows what the future holds, so how do we deal with the uncertainty that is before us? How do we handle our lives as we navigate each day through the fragile world in which we live? How do we maintain our values, stand up for what we believe is right, and respect others at the same time? In what or whom do we trust? Where do we place our faith? These are questions I cannot answer for you, but I think in times of uncertainty we should reflect upon the things that are most important to us. We should consider our values and stick to them. We should do our best to give more than we take. People of faith should rise up and lead the way through action. We should help those in need whenever we can. And perhaps we should consider each other, and our way of life, as being fragile, and perhaps we should do all we can to handle it all with great care.
“If I’m your vessel, handle me with care. Balance me lightly. Don’t let me crack.”
- Deepak Chopra
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