Accepting Tragedy

Taken from the book: A Moment to Reflect: Accepting Tragedy by Veronica Ray

No matter who we are or when we are on our path, tragedy can strike us or our loved ones. As Leo Buscaglia says, "We cannot stop a hurricane, silence a storm, or keep a loved one from leaving us." These things, and others, just happen.

It may be hard for us to understand why God allows tragedies to occur. We may feel betrayed. We may want to give up on God or this whole spirituality business. We may wonder why we should bother working so hard at our spiritual growth, only to be ignored in our time of need.

But after our grief and our anger, we can experience another feeling: acceptance. God has wisdom and a plan we know nothing about. Letting go means accepting both the painful and the joyful gifts our Higher Power sends us.

Last night was my home group meeting. I found out upon arrival that a young man who just celebrated three years had taken his own life. That became our topic for the night. It was a very sad meeting with lots of tears, but it also is a meeting I am very grateful. It was a reminder to me that the only guarantee I have is today. Also, that I have a disease that has one goal and that is to see me dead. It never goes away and is always lurking in the back ground waiting for an opportunity to strike. All I can do is keep my spiritual shield strong, remember that my future is in the present and stay out of myself. Maybe this gift, this reminder of how powerful this disease really is was all that our friend had left to give us.