Handle with Care

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.  It is likely wrapped in some type of foam packing insulation, bubble wrap, inflated plastic bags, newspaper, or some of other type of packing material to keep it safe.  Whatever is inside is breakable and precious and you should handle it with care. 

I hope that we can all remember that many things in life are fragile. We have all heard that life is short, that friends and family are sometimes all we have, and that sometimes we need to take care of each other.  Having a sense of awareness of other people is important, and I’m afraid sometimes we aren’t paying attention. 

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.  We sadly see 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 anymore, no matter which side of the aisle you are on.  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.      

So how do we deal with the uncertainty that exists when we can’t know what the future holds?   How do we navigate each day in a fragile world?  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 listen twice as much as we speak.  We should help those in need whenever we can and we should lead through action.  And perhaps we should always remember that our way of life may indeed be fragile, and 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