There has been a terrible tragedy in our community. Madonna and Matt Badger lost their three dear children along with Madonna’s parents in a fire early Christmas morning. Madonna and Matt are very loving and giving people and their loss seems too large for a heart to hold.
When we hear about such a tragedy, some of us look for a reason that it happened to grasp for certainty, and others fall into total despair believing there is a randomness to life. Either way, our minds are looking for a way to deal with what happened so we can continue to live without fear and with hope.
So what can we do right now, with the New Year approaching as we try to make sense of this very tragic event? How can we honor the lives lost and help Madonna and Matt (whether we know them or not)? How can we remain hopeful in the face of such tragedy?
I turn to the philosophy of Maybe. Maybe doesn’t ask us to make sense of everything that happens in life or require us to understand the past. Maybe doesn’t ask us not to feel sadness and grief. Instead, it allows us to stand where we are and ask ourselves what may be possible moving forward. It gives us a small opening to imagine that life can again offer us more than the moment we are facing.
In honor of these beautiful children and their grandparents, Maybe we can live more mindfully of each other and with more appreciation and gratitude. Maybe we can slow down our lives and tell the people that we love how we feel. Maybe we can give each other a little more compassion and understanding and be more gentle in our daily interactions. Maybe we can look outside of ourselves and ask who needs some help and what can we do to make their lives a little better? Maybe instead of letting this news harden our hearts, we can let it soften our hearts and try to make this a more loving and kind place while we are here.
Madonna and Matt, all of our hearts are broken by your losses and hope that maybe there will be a way for you to find peace in your lives.
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year.
Love, Allison