On my way to work last week I came upon a roadblock on the highway that was crawling with police.  I followed the detour route and gave little thought to the situation beyond the immediate annoyance of being late for work.  I wish I could say I said a prayer for the people involved in the accident, but I was caught up in the day-to-day minutiea.  No prayers, just sleepy, self-centered grumbling about the minor inconvenience that a tragedy had on my life. 

Several hours later state troopers showed up at the office and broke the news to a coworker that his brother had been killed in the accident that shut down the highway that morning.  Perhaps he fell asleep at the wheel or had a medical crisis.  Whatever happened, his life ended with a tractor trailer slamming into his little car at 70 miles an hour.  It was Valentine’s Day and he was returning home from a night at work to celebrate with his wife.  The man’s family- his wife, his kids, and my coworker- are now faced with picking up the pieces of their lives and moving on.  They’re good, honest people- the funeral home was packed with hundreds of visitors wanting to express their sympathy and support.  For my coworker this is the sixth major tragedy he’s experienced within the past two years. 

It gets me thinking and asking myself questions.  There’s the standard Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?  That’s a classic, right?  I’m typically content to believe that Shit Happens and The Gods Work In Mysterious Ways, etc.  But I often consider how “blessed” I am because my life is quite happy and comfortable.  Is that really fair to say?  Is it fair to say that my good fortune is the result of divine blessings when other decent people in this world are suffering for no discernable reason?  I don’t know.  I honestly don’t. 

It’s human nature to try and make sense of what seems to be senseless tragedy and suffering.  Rather than sit and torture myself with the ”why”s, I try to simply accept this reality and hold those who suffer in my heart.  I act as part of the community to support them.  And I will continue to pray, to ask for protection and assistance from the gods out of hope, not expectation.  Others can ponder the philosophical questions that elude my limited understanding.  I’m content for now to roll up my sleeves and ask, “What can I do to help?”

“There isn’t a way things should be. There’s just what happens, and what we do.” – Granny Weatherwax, A Hat Full of Sky