Thursday, April 29, 2010

The beautiful things in life.

I often forget to stop and take in the scenery, just take a moment and breath... listen to the silences.
I get so caught up in school, in work, in social activities.
I don't give my mind a break. I worry about this. I worry about that.
I forget to appreciate the beauty around me every day.

The moments that get me are the bad.
The heartbreaking scenes that no one else notices.
The man on the bus who has been to hell and back, but no one offers him a seat.
The beggars with signs on the street corners.
The people who can't even read time to know when the bus arrives.
Small children being yelled at by their parents for asking a question.
Parents swearing at their kids.
These things can stop me dead in my tracks.

I seem to only notice destruction, decay, death.
I see what is wrong with this world and I don't know how to fix it.
I cry over the news: disasters, murder, crimes of hate.
Sometimes all I can do is cry.

A close friend at work told me a story last weekend.
We started talking about the health care bill, kind of on accident. She is very much for universal health care, as I am also.
But I had not known her personal reasons for her views.
She has a son with medical problems. Serious medical problems. He is now 8 years old.
But these medical issues started from birth.
None of the regular insurance companies would cover him. At least none that she could afford.
In fact, that is the primary reason that she works at TJs, our insurance will cover him. It's the only one that will.
He has a "preexisting condition" that required a higher premium.
The cheapest insurance available would have cost $12,000 a year, and have a million dollar cap. I don't even remember the ridiculously high deductible.
All because of a preexisting condition.
That he had since birth.

HE IS A CHILD

he is finally getting health care, now, at 8 years old.

They paid for what they could previously, and now they are poor, in debt.

My heart goes out to this family, this loving, incredible family.

It's easily distracting.
The bad is.

But tonight, I re-read some of my aunt's blogs, at My Life Interrupted, and I remembered the beautiful that comes with the bad.

It's always there. Hidden somewhere.

My aunt, this amazing, inspiring woman, picked herself up and made the best of her disasters. She has helped me in my life more than she knows, and she will always be one of the most beautiful people in the world to me.

This lady that I work with is the sweetest woman that I know. Love has held her family together, and that is the way she lives her life everyday.
She is a kindred spirit, and she is always trying to help where she can.

She even gave me the number of one of her friends who does grant writing for public schools!

All of these terrible situations, as horrible as they may be, there is some beauty to be found. Hidden somewhere. There has to be. We need to see the person behind the mask.

There is a beautiful person behind the cardboard sign.

2 comments:

  1. What a beautiful post.

    I'll make sure my mom reads this, I know it will melt her heart. She has a spot in her heart for you as well. She loves you very much...

    as do I :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. http://refuge.umn.edu/2010/04/rethink/home-street-home/

    check this out!

    ReplyDelete