Thoughts of a 23 Year Old

{via}

|Note: This was written 2 years ago, regarding the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. My heart is the same for the Philippines right now|




Yesterday, 1200+ bloggers, including myself, decided to remain silent for the day to reflect on the tragedy in Japan. Throwing any personal agendas, politics, religion, and views to the wayside in order to show some love to a country so desperate for answers.

A community of imperfect people, coming together to shine a little light in all that dark and all that cold.

Some bloggers were silent. Some bloggers did what bloggers do best: blogged.

I'm proud of both, and in the end:

Life moves on.

To the blogger who remained silent: thank you.

To the blogger who wrote: thank you.

To the blogger who gave money: thank you.

To the blogger who gave a prayer: thank you.

To the blogger who asked questions: thank you.

To the blogger who couldn't think of the right words to say: thank you.

I say thank you because you reminded me of what is so powerful about our world. It's the feeling deep down inside each one of us that recognizes, in some way, what pain feels like. Sometimes we don't know the perfect way to express or empathize it, but we try our best.

We want to give what we have, even when we don't know where to begin.

Crisis stuns us momentarily and then pushes us into action.

Actions that portray differently in our individual lives.

Personally, I am overwhelmed with the sadness that reaches to every single corner of the world on a daily basis.

Some days I focus on it more. Some days I remember it more. Some days I act upon it more. Some days I speak out about it more. Some days I wish I could do more.

And some days, I am just consumed with the bubble of my own life,

let alone the weight of the world.

My heart is that you don't forget what these moments of reflection and response are truly about.

It's not to make us feel better about ourselves, put a checkmark on our humanitarian quota for the year, or portray ourselves as a "good" or better person.

Something inherently rises up within us and connects us.

Hope.

For one small moment, we can relate on a deeper level. We can feel like this world offers tiny windows of opportunity to live for something bigger, even when we feel so small.

xoxo

{Bon Bon}