Suffering is Not Enough

It would have been easy to feel alone today, with so many things I value rejected point blank.

Peace.

Compassion.

Justice for all (species).

I woke up this morning hoping it was all a bad dream: the bullying, the misogyny, the millions of voters who were willing to put peace, compassion, and justice for all (species) on the line for…what?

Instead, my eyes opened to a reality I couldn’t abide—or at least that’s how I felt in the moment. Working at my computer was out of the question, as was my go-to therapy of cleaning the house. I needed to walk, and walk far. I needed to walk, away.

Three hours later, I was wandering the coastline with my husband and dogs. We were quiet at first—well, at least two of us were quiet. The dogs knew better than to let politics poison their mood.

It didn’t take long for a different reality to seep into my soul, prompting me to think about Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, Being Peace. I gave a copy of this spiritual classic to Robert almost 30 years ago, and it couldn’t be more relevant today. One chapter, “Suffering is Not Enough,” opens with the following passage:

Life is filled with suffering, but it is also filled with many wonders, like the blue sky, the sunshine, the eyes of a baby. To suffer is not enough. We must also be in touch with the wonders of life. They are within us and all around us, everywhere, any time.

Myriad wonders presented themselves to me on that generous beach—the blue sky, the mountains, the sublime beauty of my fellow beings.

Those wonders served to remind me that we are far from alone—and that, for all our sakes, suffering is most assuredly not enough.

Today was a day for grief and recovery.

Tomorrow is for putting compassion into action.