Let Go and Let God

It was more than two weeks ago when I started to meditate on violence and aggression. It was, I believe, the story of a teacher's body found in the woods and the arrest of a teenage student for the crime that brought this topic to the forefront. It could also have been my body's reaction to the news of The Kenya Mall Terrorist Attack.

I had this nagging, creeping sense that the level of violence in the world, in my world, had ramped up. Indeed, the newspapers have reported an 11% increase in the rate of violent crimes across our nation. Analysts agree that what was a downward trend, is now surely an incline.

And then, last week Monday, a good friend's body was found in a cornfield with a gunshot hole in his head (this is the newspaper's tasteful description of the homicide. I've been imagining that a shot taken at close range to the head might leave more than a hole). He was a good, good man - executive director of a charity, head of a foundation, father and husband.

There is an atmosphere of violence at my own workplace: intolerance, cursing, and threats.

As a mom, highly-sensitive, empathic type, it's very, very difficult for me to tune out these highly charged situations. I'm finding that I'm making silly mistakes in my work and I even have trouble with word-finding in conversations ("bilingual brain in a pressure cooker").

One of the insults being thrown around is the word "moron." I hate this word, and the others that fall into the category of disrespect toward individuals with disabilities like "retard" and "idiot." I don't use them, and I hate it when others use them in my presence.

On top of all of this, we were waiting for the birth of a family member, a little girl who, the doctors said, would most definitely be born with Down's Syndrome. Mom went to the hospital twice over the weekend, only to be sent home again to re-arrange care and meals for the other 4 children at home.

Baby arrived Monday night - beautiful, perfect, and healthy.

Isn't that evidence enough for me to "Let Go and Let God?"