Lest you say,
“I am an island unto myself,”
Remember that an island is so
Only because of other factors:
The waters that surround it and the land from which it is formed.
Should you think,
“I depend only on myself,”
Remember that your very birth was a result of others’ interactions.
We are inextricably connected to all that is;
No-one nor nothing happens in isolation.
Consider this and realize therefore
Care for oneself includes care for all.
How would it be, to change our vision?
We often ask (ourselves or god or the the universe)
Why did this happen?
We see an event as a particular discrete thing
And usually when we query thus,
Feel that it be extraordinary in some way.
Often we seek some divine aid or give thanks for that perceived intervention.
Consider if you will this possibility:
There are no miracles nor curses. The playing field is level.
A joyous birth equals a tragic death. The discovery of a vaccine equals the manufacture of a deadly weapon.
And all equal the purchase of a cup of coffee.
THESE ARE ALL ORDINARY. Shocking to write.
Each came about in the same manner, with innumerable causes.
They have no special quality in and of themselves,
Though they do carry weight and impact, which we ourselves assign.
We are the ones who decide what counts as remarkable,
Either for reasons of evil or good, while we claim signs from some deity.
If we choose to see this and acknowledge
That everything is mundane and therefore also terrible and therefore also glorious,
Then we can (perhaps) take a better path.