Solidarity – A response to traumatic events
Turn off the TV, the media and attention to the trauma.
If you must watch events, limit it to certain parts of the day.
The aim is to return settled to a place of peace as quickly as possible – a cuppa tea, a potter in the garden, doing the washing, making some kai, gather with whānau. Watch a movie together, sing, walk do whatever gets you to that sacred and beautiful place of remembering it’s about tika, pono and aroha. And that people are important.
We need to stay in the light and also to teach our children to get there – to a place that also helps them to deal with troubling things. Empathy is not about staying with others in the cloak of darkness.
This tragedy or any traumatic event is sad, horrific and sparks emotions that people don’t know how to feel and express. And that’s normal.
Gently bring people back to life, wrap big arms around, whatever the spirit of manaakitanga means to you – do it.
Bring down that sense of outrage or change it to into action into doing what feels right for you – when you are in a great or settled space. Because that outrage or sadness means something matters to you that you would like honoured. Honour it.
Connect. To whatever that means for you. Whether you’re a global political activist or a local getting on with things – remember that the ripple effect of caring, living alongside others in harmony, and experiencing the effects of relating well, will help others to know how nice that is too.
He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.
What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.
with aroha, Mandy
March 15, 2019