I wonder if you feel the same when you read the news: There are always rules for some and rules for others; not that there is anything
new here but in times of restrictions, it can be disheartening. Â
Â
I saw pictures of football fans packed in the streets of London, chanting, littering, sitting on the top of working buses. I first
thought of the vigil held in the wake of Sarah Everard's murder: women gathered quietly with masks and respecting social distancing and the police dispersing them, tackling this petite woman to the ground. Yes, there were restrictions on gathering but then the police around the same time stood when football fans gathered to protest a greedy league project. They didn't respect social distancing, many didn't wear masks, but the police never tackled any of them. I felt sick to my
stomach.
Â
When I saw the pictures this week, I thought about all the couples who are getting married right now, whose guests can't sing in
church or dance at their reception, on the only day in their life when they will get to share their love with the people that matter to them. If they try, the police will be there in no time; but there was no police to stop 60,000 people chanting in a stadium.Â
Â
It's not
fair!Â
Â
There are so many moments when we, sensitive souls, watch what happens in this world and think that it's not fair, that it should be
so and that we, as a species, have got all our priorities wrong.Â
Â
So what can we
do?
Â
There is very little influence we have on all the things that happen outside our home and they definitely won't change because our
heart is aching, but there is always a bit we can do. We can support charities that help children, women shelters, etc. Â We can fight climate change by opting to walk whenever we can, taking the train rather than flying, recycling, choosing to use condiments in glass bottles rather than plastic, plant bee-friendly flowers in our gardens, etc. Contributing to solving a huge problem by doing a little bit is a way to soothe our suffering soul and there is so much change that can happen when a
great number of us do a little bit. That's action.
Â
The second step is to let go of what we can absolutely not change. We can drive ourselves crazy thinking about all that isn't fair,
poverty, violence, all the people who get away with not respecting the rules, but at the end of the day, our frustration, resentment or discouragement will not serve us. We must protect our sensitive hearts by not clinging to the horrible truths in this world and our life. Â We can't deny that they exist but we can choose to let them go as much as possible. That's acceptance. Â By the way, accepting does not mean being ok with it, it just means accepting that this is happening. Resisting
what is, creates suffering.
Â
It is a sad fact that the media make a living from adverts and therefore need a big audience, consumers that they hook through
emotions, the terrible and the cute. I don't watch the news as it doesn't allow me to filter them. Instead, I get a weekly news magazine and go on a news app daily to check the headlines. I am so much better now at not getting sucked in the drama "on offer", the emotional stories. I am not in denial of other people's struggles and suffering, but I recognise that I don't have to add them to my own. It's true for people in real life as
well.
Â
When things feel unfair, and it might be a daily occurrence, take a moment and check if you can take — even a tiny — action or whether
you need to ease yourself into acceptance. In any case, stay away from other people's drama on a world, local or personal scale.Â
Â
I hope you are enjoying summer. I will hopefully be travelling to France later this month so there might be disruption with my letters to you. Please, take care of yourself and protect your sensitive soul!
