We could all do with a little more generosity.
There’s a story of a man who fell from the top of a pylon while working on the electricity power lines. The other men on site all thought he was dead. When the paramedics arrived, they also couldn’t believe the man is still alive. As they got to work stabilising him, a paramedic asked if he is allergic to anything.
He said, “Yes. Gravity!”
After the laughter had abated, the man became serious and said, “Folks, I’m in trouble here. I think I’ve broken my neck and my back, and I may be paralysed.” He continued, “But please don’t treat me as if I’m going to die. Treat me as if I’m going to live.” He’d seen the look of despair on their faces. He saw they were giving him little to no chance of survival. Lying trapped in a body that couldn’t move, he needed to stress his desire to live.
He still had hope.
Finding the strength to muster up a positive attitude can be difficult, especially if you’ve been battered by storms like a shipwreck on the Skeleton Coast. How many folks have been pushed to their limits and eventually said, “Enough. I can’t anymore.” How many people had to let go of their dreams? How many people believe they’re getting what they deserve? How many are settling with ‘good enough?’
How many have given up hope?
Amid a pandemic that’s played havoc on our individual and national psyche, and a country in a deep crisis with rampant unemployment, crime, corruption, blackouts, poverty etc., finding a silver lining becomes difficult. It would be trite to say everyone has suffered in some way in the past 2 years. But the collective suffering of so many people around us, even while we are struggling, has never been experienced before. We’re not sure how to respond to such devastation.
Like a rabbit in the headlights.
I’m not being glib about finding the silver lining in times like these. It’s obvious we all struggle and have days where we want to throw in the towel. If you’ve been trying to put food on the table for the past 20 months and coming up short every day, how could you not feel despondent? If your resume’s been sent to hundreds of recruiters and employers without a single interview, where’s the joy in that? If you’ve done everything in your power to stay relevant and worthy, and still the world seems to be conspiring against you, lying down, and playing dead becomes an option.
But lying down and playing dead is never an option.
There are so many people, all around us, that need our generosity. More people are needing our help today than at any time before in our lifetime. The fallout from a country that’s almost uneconomical-to-repair, is a citizenry feeling disillusioned and battered, all avenues exhausted.
It’s up to you and me to be generous to everyone who needs it. The need for human connection, empathy, kindness — the need for love — has never been greater than now.
Have an awesome weekend and please be generous! 😄
As always, thanks for reading 🙏
