The Unfairness in the World

My Memorial Day weekend was filled with a lot of activities (some better than others) and it was relaxing… which is a perfect combination for any successful weekend.

First, I had to spend a few hours in the dentist chair getting a tooth filled and a crown. Then I planted flowers and washed the patio chairs. I helped at a local race… registering runners, handing out water and giving sweaty, muddy runners a shower with a garden hose.

My husband and I cleaned the house. I printed recipes and ideas and shopped for groceries. I bought fresh, local strawberries that tasted heavenly. I diced vegetables and made hummus and arranged them in cool displays.

Our perfect weekend weather continued on Monday as friends arrived for a picnic. I wasn’t sure how many of them could make it… but in the end everyone came bringing more food and drinks. We ate, talked and laughed for hours. They raved over my husband’s secret-recipe hamburgers and over my quinoa broccoli casserole. And my grilled vegetables, drizzled with oil, balsamic vinegar and spices were a party favorite.

After our friends left, my husband and I spent another hour or so enjoying the evening and finishing the wine while admiring our planters and our light-stringing handiwork in the tree.

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I appreciated and savored my weekend, though a small disturbance circled in the back of my mind most of the time. I haven’t lost any loved ones to a war, but I thought of the sacrifice many have made. I thought of the people grieving and living with the loss of loved ones. And of the lives cut short… so I could freely arrange vegetables to match a picture I’d printed?

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I don’t know what to do about all the unfairness in the world.

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I kept thinking about the pain and sadness of many around the world. I thought of people killing and being killed, both soldiers and civilians, with more bombs and weapons being made daily to kill even more… when will we start using that money on food and education instead?

I thought of the many that are struggling and suffering often due to circumstances beyond their control… while I’m making another store run to buy marshmallows and chocolate for s’mores. 

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I don’t know what to do about all the unfairness in the world.

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I thought of the many who do not walk or run for exercise, but as a way of life. They live on the move trying to avoid uprisings and to find food… and no one is around to hand them water and to wash the misery off them with a garden hose. 

Even the unpleasant times of my weekend are a privilege, I have the option of having work done on my teeth… while many don’t have dentists, doctors or even Tylenol.

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I don’t know what to do about all the unfairness in the world.

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While we string lights to create an atmosphere, many live without any electric. While I dislike cleaning, many go a lifetime without a house and patio chairs to clean.

Not only did I have plenty of food to prepare, it was delicious and was pinterestly arranged.
And I threw away parts of the cauliflower that were slightly brown…
while millions are starving around the world.

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I don’t know what to do about all the unfairness in the world.

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Afghan girls are being poisoned in school, supposedly by the Taliban who doesn’t want them to learn… while I have (too many) books in my house, Google at my fingertips and I learn how to grill vegetables from Facebook friends.

Many live daily with a shortage of water or only have dirty water… while I let the water run when I rinse the dust off the ice bucket, the grill utensils and the party trays.

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I don’t know what to do about all the unfairness in the world.

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And then there is Syria where thousands are being killed… while I’m cutting the tops off strawberries to fill them with a cream cheese mixture, complete with a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs and stressing about how to get them to stay upright to serve them. 

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The people suffering around the world are just like me…
they have needs and wants and desires.
They feel pain and joy.
They deserve a weekend just like I had.
With or without perfect strawberry bites.

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I don’t know what to do about all the unfairness in the world.

 

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Shared at Joy in the Journey: Life Unmasked

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