If we reacted to every single world tragedy with the same amount of emotion, we’d be emotional wrecks.
#perspective
My tag says that I “geek out” out about things way too much. And I don’t mean that in a positive way.
I take things to heart.
I cry when others are heartbroken.
But I’m no emotional SuperGirl.
It seems as though many folks are asking me to be that way this week.
Every where I turn, I see folks saying, “Why aren’t we as upset about the bombings in Iran?” or “Tragedies happen everywhere. Why do we only care when it happens in the United States?”
Here’s why.
If you are new to the blog and haven’t gone through the archives, you don’t know that my mom is a three-year breast cancer survivor. Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent and (thankfully) most treatable types of cancer.
Whenever I would mention it to someone, and they said they knew someone who survived it and knew what I was going through, I was so elated.
Someone who understands.
But what if someone had said, “Well, cancer is everywhere. Why are you so upset that your Mom has it?”
Sounds harsh, right? Callous? A bit far-fetched?
No, not everyone had a loved one who was affected by the Boston marathon bombing or the Texas plant explosion. But that isn’t the point.
Tragedies at home always hurt more. And that’s okay. That’s human nature.
Depending on the country you pick, these latest U.S. tragedies are probably not the top headlines. The residents of that nation are not waking up worrying about their personal safety at the next sporting event, or how many casualties there are near Waco.
They are going about their every day lives as normal. Just like we are when we hear about a suicide bomber in the Middle East.
And I don’t see anyone criticizing them for it.
Because it’s ridiculous to ask them to. It’s ridiculous to expect every single person in the world to care equally (or more) about every single major tragedy that happens.
If we did care about every tragedy in the news, we could not carry on. We’d stay in our homes all day out of fear or depression.
It’s also a slap in the face to thousands of military personnel and their families in our country and around the world to say “no one cares” about bombings in the Middle East.
What about business owners? Your next door neighbor who has invested in a lot of international stocks? Don’t they care?
Of course, they do. And they have every right to.
And, yes, just because we don’t always have a vested interest in the happenings of this world doesn’t mean we should not take notice.
On the other hand, we should not be expected to bear the sadness of tragedies happening in the lives of seven billion people around the world.
What are you struggling with today? What is your viewpoint on this topic? Sound off in the comments below.
Nerdy Thirty-Something 
A friend recently told me that her aunt was judged for not “crying enough” at a memorial service of a loved one. Well, she did her crying at home and besides, don’t people realize that the family members are usually cried out by the time they finally get to the service?
When my dad died we all cried at the hospital and at home, and by the time the service came a week later, we were exhausted!
As for public tragedies you’re right, we could never carry on if we mourned every thing. And everything is tragic. Unfortunately some things are more shocking than other things. As sad as it is, you expect that some are going to die in a war because that is the nature of war, as awful as that is. You don’t expect someone to be blown to pieces at the Boston Marathon. Anyway, Thanks for linking up to “Making Your Home Sing Monday” today!
Thank you for that great comment. I never thought about the grieving process when it comes to personal tragedies like that.
My mother is a 27 yr. breast cancer survivor. The pains closer to home do yank on our hearts more. My heart has been heavy for those in Boston. My daughter’s boyfriend’s 50 year old uncle died this week, as well as a dear missionary–40 years old with five young children. There is pain everywhere and we grieve with those close to our hearts. Your post is a good explanation why.
I am so sorry to hear about the losses in your life but congrats to your Mom on being a survivor! Thank you so much for reading.