A Message worth thinking about..., page 1

Hello Friends,

This isn't from me. It was written in french by a friend's daughter and she shared it with everyone she knows. All I did was ask permission to translate it and share on a forum that I belong to. Permission was granted.

Please, no flags, no stars, as this isn't from me.

But I feel that you should also read it and perhaps be touched, as I was when I read it.

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I don’t know if December 21st will be the end of the world but I strongly believe that things must change. We are getting close to Christmas and instead of accumulating happy moments, the entire planet accumulates ecologic, economic and human catastrophes. Today, when I turned on the TV: “Shooting in a Elementary School”. Yes, horror has struck again. I am sure that the author of this sad event enormously suffered to do something like this. Is it forgivable? NOT AT ALL ! However, the tragedy happened and there is nothing we can do to change it.

Maybe this person had a mental illness or maybe he felt alone and suffering in this world and maybe this gesture was the only way (for him) to open the eyes of his surroundings. In any case, the harm that this person wanted to cause, was motivated by an immense despair or a mental illness made him lose self control. I will avoid the idea that the author had a mental illness as I think that solitude hits our society in a big way and clearly outnumbers mental illness cases.

A mental illness is sad, yes, and pushes people to commit acts that are out of their control. However, many people suffering from mental illness have very ordinary lives and don’t harm anyone. Let’s stop labeling these people that do try to have normal lives. But what does normal living mean? Live at a hundred miles an hour in a society where results are the only goals? We are too busy running all over the place to spend quality time with our families and our friends or to be with someone that is going through a tough time.

Probably the whole world, including myself, is in total shock after hearing that news. How can a man cause so much damage? But the real question that we should ask ourselves is: “Is it acceptable to let human beings end up in such desperation? The answer is NO. We have no power over what has happened but we do have a power and this power is greater than you think.

The holiday season is this moment of the year where we should be living happy festivities. However, so many people feel more alone than ever…THIS is what kills...feeling alone and having the impression that no one around us really cares for us.

I would like to send a challenge to everyone that will be reading this. During the holidays, take an hour of your time and call a friend, or a family member or a neighbor even...or anyone and offer to go have a coffee, a beer or a walk outside with them. And while you do this, don’t talk about the weather or that there’s no hockey or of the tragedies that strike our world or of politics or of your successes...no, let the other person talk and take the time to really listen.

No, no, no, no, no, don’t do what you normally do but really listen to what the other person has to say, focus on it. Listen to this person and be interested…close your cellular phone, don’t think of what you have to do tomorrow, just STOP and listen. You’ll see, you will probably find it hard but it’s worth it. To listen to someone else talk will make you feel better about yourself and will greatly help the person who’s got your attention.

Maybe that the person you will talk to doesn’t feel alone and necessarily suffers but if everyone took just an hour to do this, some people would no longer feel as lonely and maybe, just maybe, there would be less tragedies happening in the future.

I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season, with the people you love and that you understand the precious gift of every single moment, as we never know what life will bring us tomorrow!

Yolaine