Heavy Lifting

May 23, 2016

I think everyone gets there, that point where the weight of the world threatens to crush us beneath. We are not Atlas. We are not designed to shoulder the burdens of a beleaguered world. Yet we strive. We impose upon ourselves and take on responsibilities. We plan and do our best, yet sometimes, oftentimes, or occasionally, we crumple. We drop to our knees our bodies riddled with jabs and blows dealt by an ever-present threat. Like a used tissue, rough winds roll us to the trash mound.

But by the morning, we straighten. We press the creases and try again. From our center, be it God or some other source, our spines align, we stand straight, and we examine again. From afar, the world is a sphere of swirling blue and teal, bleeding together, united in need. At the core, our experiences are universal. We require sustenance, water, shelter. We feel love, confusion, and doubt. Although the particulars vary, our experiences revolve around the same basic things. Survival. Pursuit of health, happiness, and self-fulfillment. A desire to succeed and perhaps be acknowledged for our achievements and the work necessary. The particulars vary, but when examined closely, we have more in common than not.

Shouldering the earth is a great burden, yet we are, by definition, each other’s keepers. We should care for one another, help when and where we can. It is our honor and duty, but if we each buoy each other up, we can strengthen our grip. If we lock hands, the burden grows lighter. Our appreciation for each other grows with contact and understanding. If we lend each other our strength, none of us need falter. We can help, rise, and lift this earth Heavenward. By lifting it, by aiding others, we solidify our own foundations and add steel to our spines.

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