As I sit here and write this I realise that the people who need to read it may never see it. I guess you could argue why bother writing it? I guess you are right. Perhaps it is hubris then that makes me write this, or the childish hope that it might reach someone that it resonates to. Or someone that it can help.

Truthfully, I don’t know.

As the world turns to its gaze on Paris we are horrified and frightened. People dying. Innocent suffering. People scared and crying. We are shocked and confused.

It was many hours later that I discovered the sad news of what had taken place as I, and many others like me, have slept most of the day. I awoke in pain and my husband told me the news. My mind went numb.

With the benefit of pain killers and some time I sit back and think about the terrible ironies that exist in life.
Here are some.

Those people with healthy bodies, able bodies and working bodies do so much to destroy themselves and throw those lives away, while others cling for their lives. Others would do anything for such bodies and such health. Others would like even a hope at living the life that others take for granted.

Ask any terminally ill person what they would do to have a chance to live beyond tomorrow and I can assure you what they would say. Ask someone in terrible pain and suffering what they would do to have a chance at a life.

We inject ourselves, medicate ourselves. We suffer terrible medications and terrible side effects just for an hour or so with our loved ones. Just for a little more time with them. To us life is precious. To us life is constant battle. To us life feels like a never ending, painful, prize that we will do anything for and go through anything for. We want life and health so much it is like a thorn in our hearts to see it valued so poorly.

When we hear of drunken brawls, drugged teenagers, Wars, Anger, Violence, It breaks our hearts and makes our minds scream out in anger and disbelief.

HOW CAN SOME PEOPLE VALUE LIFE SO CHEAPLY??

Every time I see someone endangering their lives, and the lives of others, my whole body screams with disbelief.

I, for one, would give anything to have that chance of life and health again. To walk the streets again. To feel things and do things that most of the world take for granted; That most of the world throw away.

Ask anyone who has been ill, injured, sick or dying what sort of world that they would create and you would be shown a world of love, of gratitude, of empathy, of kindness and of tolerance. You would be shown a world where all life is precious and nothing taken for granted.

We would show you what love means to us and how precious we regard it. It is what we live for. It is what we strive for and it is what what we suffer for.

You see, most people have no idea what love truly means until your life rests in the hands of it and you owe every breath you take to it.

If is unspeakably painful when we hear of the needless suffering and death of those healthy lives, those healthy bodies and those abled bodies, taken from their loved ones, taken from their friends and taken from this world.

Fear, suffering, pain, anger, cruelty and prejudice has no place in a world I would create since I have come to know how all of those things feel and deeply scar.

Tonight as we turn events over in our minds and imagine what lays ahead for the world. Please join me in imagining kindness, wellness, peace, freedom, creativity, health and belonging.

Imagine turning our resources to healing and helping others and not killing and wasting lives. Putting our money and efforts and beliefs into cures, art, writing creating, learning, inventing, experiencing, uniting and loving.

Please share this message.

-Trish