Spring is in the air in the Netherlands. The sun has chased away the clouds which have been filling up the whole sky lately, it has finally (!) stopped raining and the birds are busy building nests. They are chattering. There is almost nothing as lovely as bird chatter, don't you agree? But why is it so attractive? I have no idea what they are talking about, yet it seems like they are talking to me. Perhaps they are warning me that if I set ONE MORE STEP inside their territory they will lift me up from the ground and trow me in the nearest canal. Or they are inviting me over, to join their world, up there, high in the sky so we can fly together. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Do they know that humans can't fly? Or do they think we choose to be glued to the earth, except for the occasional skip or little jump in the air when we are in the best of all moods?
These days my mind drift off regularly to places in the world which are not as fortunate as where I am living. Every day brings happiness, but it also brings suffering. Sometimes I find it hard to process all that's happening on this planet. How can I be here living in the Netherlands in relative safety while there is a war going on in Ukraine? How is it possible that I can go to sleep at night in peace while some people in Syria and Turkey have lost everyone and everything they loved, they cared for, their whole reason of living. How are we all interconnected, being one species, while also being so disconnected at the same time?
Although this questions often makes me sad and sometimes makes me feel hopeless, it almost always drives me to the same answer. There is no reason. It is just the way it is. Life is just living with these hardships and joys. If you really want to do something, the solution is probably quite simple. Just do your best. Try to help out your loved ones and those you feel need your help the most. Maybe that is your neighbour who is struggling with he loss of his wife, or the dogs in the shelter who need care and love. Or it is your child who looks up to you with sparkling eyes, depending on you for love and shelter. Or that charity who is supporting refugees who are longing for those hands who will give them food and blankets.
We can't erase suffering from our world, that is just not how life works. But if we all vow to do our best, I am convinced that the world would be a different place. Birds have the advantage of being able to zoom out, flying high up in the sky, having an overview of what they contribute to the bigger picture, but we humans have the advantage of being close to on other. Close enough to look each other in the eye and ask: hey, are you doing okay? Is there something I can help you with? Let's use that special skill of ours.
