Last night on the news, I watched Hungary throw up its borders against those travelling there for safety from their warring home countries. A woman and her children were the first to be turned away. She was told to walk 2 more miles (she’d already walked 16 that day) to a registration office.
‘That’s terrible’ I thought. “What’s happening in the world right now?” I asked my husband, “Like, what’s happening in Syria? Why are they fighting?”. Like me, he was ashamed of not knowing.
Today at work, I took to Google and searched ‘What-is-happening-in-Syria’. I found a post from 2013. It was two years old but it did have what seemed like a clear outline of why Syria’s civil war began. After doing more research, I was upset to find that there didn’t seem to be an end in sight.
I realised I didn’t really know where Syria actually was. Who it’s neighbouring countries were etc. Ashamed again, I went back to Google and brought up the World Map and searched for Syria. Found it! A fairly large country, surrounded by Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. I zoomed out to look at the entire world and I don’t know why, but it hit me!
The World is a H U G E place. Like seriously, shockingly, saddening-ly huge. I looked at the UK. How small and vulnerable my home country is. Look at the size of Russia – one of Syria’s allies I read! I looked just below Russia – Kazakhstan! Where the hell is Kazakhstan – and who lives there!? I searched for images and was so shocked to see magnificent scenery and vibrant modern architecture. Why do you never here of this place?! As I zoomed out on the world it was also like I zoomed out of my own life too. I could almost imagine myself as a tiny pathetic spec somewhere in the middle of England.
It hurts when I think about what is happening in Syria. But then it’s awful what is happening in Gaza! In Iraq, In America! Terrible things happen here in the UK too. Then I think about how I feel when something in my life doesn’t go to plan! I feel awful. And isn’t that AWFUL. I complain because I think I’ve been treated unfairly. I get sad when I think Allah (swt) has burdened me with too much. I get frustrated about small, stupid things that I have no control over. I feel a w f u l just thinking about how I react to trivial things.
I can’t change the world. I can’t make everyone good. But I can make myself good. I can wake up every morning and I can ask myself what I can do today to make the world a little better. How can I help someone else? I can’t end the Syrian war but I can help someone who is warring with themself, for example.
Let’s all be better people and do more good. You’re probably already kind, but be kinder! What can you give to help heal the world one person at a time?
And for the people who aren’t nice back to you – well that’s their own problem! What they need to do is zoom out on their life too to gain a bit of perspective!
No matter what we try to be in the world – we will always be ONE. One person, leading one life with one fate. We are one as a whole but we will always be one alone too. One in about 7 billion. One in 5.972×10-to-the-power-24-kg. That’s how big the earth is. And we’re just one!
Kelly
The Aurora Project
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