What A Week this has been.  Up. Down. Smile. Frown. Horror. Hope.

The horror of what is happening in Ukraine. The hope as determination for justice rises.

It’s been said the further away the problem the less we can empathize.  That was before immediate and close-up virtual images.  They are 5,000 miles away, yet we now see ourselves, our neighbors, our families in the fearful and courageous faces.  I was 13 when WWII ended. When I see the families huddled underground hearing the sirens overhead, I know what they are thinking.  My empathy is at gut level. It never leaves. Down in the shelters they are asking why is this happening?

Why indeed? Is it Greed, Power, Ruthlessness, a lack of appreciation for human life?  It’s all those things. How did we get here? Is it a result of me-me-and only me thinking?

More than a year ago, one of my favorite writers, Adam Grant said: “In our daily lives too many of us favor the comfort of conviction rather then the discomfort of doubt.  We like opinions that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard.  We see disagreement as a threat to our ego, rather than an opportunity to learn.  We surround ourselves with people who agree with us, when we should gravitate to those who challenge our thought process.”

Our hope now is that world leaders will develop a united empathy.  Begin to value human life as they do a strong economy.   See disagreements as opportunities to learn.

As it says in Alexander Pope’s ‘Essay on Man’ -- Hope Springs Eternal.

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