My dear friend Pete was feeling paralyzed with grief a few days ago, over all the sorrow and war in the world... the Germans have a name for this kind of feeling, "weltschmerz", or "world pain."
It is hard not to feel worried and grieved over the horrible things happening everywhere, locally and worldwide. It is only natural to wonder what kind of world our children, present or future, will inhabit. Or if there will be a world left. Despair lurks in the corners at times, but it must not be given power.
We have to remember that there are good people in the world. People who feed stray kittens, help a granny cross the road, who give of their time and possessions to charity, people who have ears to listen and hearts to understand, people who try to live with love for the world (even if they occasionally slip, while driving behind van-ladies). I'm blessed with many such people in my life and witness little acts of kindness by strangers to strangers regularly. And while I'm not trying to be Julie Andrews singing "These are a few of my favorite things" here, sometimes it is necessary to think of the things of light in this world, so our hearts don't fall into the gloom.
Just now, Jimmy Stewart and Frank Capra movies popped into my head... Capra's movies often dealt with themes of financial depression, political oppression, corruption, etc., and the one message Capra's films always relayed was that of hope. Capra believed that good will outweigh bad, that each person has value, and that we can each make a difference. My favorite of Capra's "Everymen" was Jimmy Stewart. Here's a long clip from the Capra masterpiece "It's a Wonderful Life" — and remember: "No man is a failure who has friends." Thank you for being mine. ~A
