When You Need to Take a Break From the News: How Sensitive Souls Deal With Tragedy
Finally, I realized that I was grieving. Waking up to yet another National Tragedy on Monday morning was heart-breaking. Waking up to a National Tragedy that did not have to happen was beyond heart-breaking. I had already been tearful on Sunday after reading and watching reports about Puerto Rico. I have lived on the southeastern coast of Georgia, so I know how devastating a hurricane can be. When I read the news reports I can imagine the fear and destruction. When I watch the news reports, I can feel the desperation. I wish with all my heart I could fix all the pain and problems of those hit by a trifecta of hurricanes. But I can’t. I just can’t. All I can really do is give money and pray and check in with friends who have family in the affected areas. Even though that doesn’t seem near enough in the face of such suffering. And then the tragedy in Las Vegas happened. I still can’t even really talk about it. It is too much for my brain and body to process much less form words about. When I heard the news reports on the radio that morning, I knew I was going to have to pull back. My already stressed out system was not going to be able to process the emerging details of another national tragedy. It is not that I don’t care. It is that I care so much and feel so much if I plunge head long into the details of the tragedy I will begin to shut down.
So I starting passing on reading the morning paper.
I began listening to playlists instead of the radio (Pearl Jam if you must know).
And I walked away from any television broadcasting news on the shooting.
Thank you for speaking this and putting it out in the world! I have been on this edge for a while – I just lost my younger sister (45) to years of alcoholism and mental health issues(her body couldn’t take it anymore), after being in the hospital struggling for her life for the past 2 1/5 months AND me and my older sister caring for my elderly father through all of it (driving back and forth to SC), and helping my kids through losing their sweet aunt, AND helping my significant other through a hellacious incident that left him torn apart as well. The past couple of weeks of news of natural and person-led disasters have pushed me past my limits. I am crying all the time and in pain and saddened beyond words. Yes, I don’t know what to do with my feelings. SOOOO, as I am in tears reading this, you give me hope that someone understands. Someone understands that we grieve for those suffering from near and afar, for people we don’t know. But bigger than that we grieve for fellow humankind and the perilousness of life at times. Thank you, Dena, for putting into words what I am drowning in,… and what others must be too.
Oh, so much sadness and loss. I am sorry. Prayers for you and your family as you grieve.
So needed! Here we have been grieving over our government’s decisions – “Brexit”, which is so unnecessary – besides all the rest of the world-wide stuff – like you I am tired and weary and I realise that a lot of it is about politics, about the wanton destruction of the lovely country this used to be – I mean things like compassion, generosity, honesty in business, community, anything like that. Replaced with greed of various kinds., and fear (for example of immigrants), and distrust and hostility and violence. People are unhappy the world over. So somehow we have to distract ourselves sometimes. Because we care.
Oh, I was so hoping things were better in Britain. That kindness and community still existed as a cultural norm. Hoping you find rest and peace.