If a butterfly flaps it's wings...

This may be a little controversial for some of you, but hear me out, if you will.

I want to talk a little about the tragedies that befall us in this world, and open a thinking process for how to deal with them or think about them.

I got to thinking about the hurricane that hit the New York area while my husband and I were watching the snow fall on the mountain through the window by the fireplace of our challet on our much needed anniversary trip and how, without that hurricane, we wouldn't have the precipitation to create such a beautiful scene for us. I felt guilty for enjoying myself while all those people were struggling to maintain their lives and save their homes and pets. I get that way. Obsessive. Overthinking.

I almost ruined the moment for us.

But then I got to wondering. What if the things that happen really are just meant to be? That's a hard pill to swallow, especially when it's not me who is going through the tragic events of a catastrophe. But I've been through my own tragic events, haven't I? My point is, cycles of life happen. You know the butterfly effect? That bit of chaos theory, named by Edward Lorenz, that states the theoretical example of a hurricane's formation being contingent on whether or not a distant butterfly had flapped its wings several weeks before? (Wiki)

So, if this is true, then something happened to cause that hurricane. That hurricane caused weather changes throughout parts of the US. We got unexpected snow on our vacation making a magical moment for us to enjoy at the cost of all those people. At first we were dissapointed at the rain we came into when we first arrived. Then we heard it wasn't going to get any better, but worse...snow. I had to remind myself to take it in stride, enjoy it as it comes. I was then able to see the blessing in our snow. And actually enjoy it. We sat and quietly watched it fall. I did yoga in front of the fireplace and watched as it fell onto the treetops right outside the wall of windows. It was a peaceful tranquil moment that I am grateful for. That's when I started thinking about the reason for our weather in the first place, and my mood shifted.

I started to realize that while we are enjoying this beautiful thing, it had to come at a price. But that's nature, right? This is our experience, that was their experience. That is how nature works. It was teaching all of those people perseverence, right? If it was happening to us (and we don't want this to happen to us, or anyone else) but it would be teaching us perseverence. It would then be our experience. It would be something we would have to go through. We were the fortunate ones, this time, to be enjoying the result. We get to sit in our warm cabin in front of the fireplace enjoying the snow falling. It was a sweet little blessing that we got some snow. The people down in the valley got to look up and see the snow on the mountain tops. But at what cost? At the cost of this hurricane and all the devastation it brought. But...that's nature. That's life. That is the cycle of life. Right?
And that's how that happened, and if something devastating were to happen to us something good might be happening for someone else somewhere else and if that gives them a moment of joy, then so be it. Were we to cease our own lives because of this? I don't think so. What would this world consist of if we all did that every time there was tragedy? Life moves on. It is meant to be lived. And, though there were deaths, and that really does break my heart, live, they did.

 But, what's more, (because I absolutely do not believe a hurricane devastated millions of people so that I could enjoy the snow) this awful thing happened and what was the result? The real result...?

People banded together. People thought about one another, as oppossed to just themselves. It made them think about each other, help one another. It got everybody listening and hoping and praying for these perfect strangers who are scraping themselves back together. News doesn't just always carry negativity for the sake of it. The more things happen in this world, and a lot more is happening, the more we as a human race are persevering. Reaching out to one another. Lending a helping hand. Becoming less selfish. Learning to live lives of servitude. Gaining more compassion for our fellow human beings. Setting our differences aside and becoming One.

These harrowing times are necessary. On the surface they are unfortunate, yes, but without them, with what do we gauge our growth?

So, yes, at first I was guilty for our pleasure at the same time others were having so much pain. But I thought of all of them. Thoughts may not be enough for some of you. But I feel thoughts are things. If every other human being was shaken out of their daily routine or pleasurable moment by the sudden realization of where their pleasure and joy might be coming from, we would all be thinking about one another almost all the time, even if for fleeting moments at a time. Keeping each other in our minds keeps us mind-ful. Staying mindful can heal us. Healing ourselves will trigger a healing in All.

And that, my friends, is how we heal this Planet.