ISSUE 979 - JUNE 2023

There is this sweet spot between shock and the onset of grief where humans tap into what is really important in this precarious and precious life.

As a nation and global community, we have experienced catastrophic events that have made us pause collectively and share that sweet spot. We speak of it when we remember 911. We are already referring to it about the pandemic.

As individuals, we all have those events in our lives as well. My latest was my only sibling, my sister, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. 

There is nothing like a shocking event to jolt us back to what is meaningful and precious in life. That may be why they exist. We need reminders so what matters can shine through. 

We get so caught up in the superficial and relatively meaningless circumstances of our lives, and we convince ourselves they are much more important than they actually are. 

I got the news of my sister's death early in the morning and was on a plane by 5:00 pm. As I was at the airport, I was notified that my connecting flight out of Dallas was delayed by 2 hours, making my layover almost 4 hours. 

With that news, I called a dear friend in Dallas and asked if she could get me during my long layover so we could see each other. She agreed without hesitation. I knew she would be a comfort to me.

The friends who drop everything to be there for us, to hold us up during the hardest moments of our life, are priceless.

After our visit, she returned me to the airport. I was so grateful for her company and support. It was late; I was tired. It had already been quite the day. I wanted to reach my destination like all my fellow passengers.

The time came when we were called to line up to board the flight. It was 12:00 am. We stood in line for about 15 minutes and then were informed they weren't ready for us and that we could sit down again. We then discovered our crew couldn't get into the airport because TSA had shut down for the night. No surprise what came next; they canceled the flight. It was now 1:00 am.

I could have been losing my mind by this point. I was just as exhausted and inconvenienced as the others. But the opposite happened. I became calmer as I observed the people around me expressing their frustration and becoming more aggravated. It was surreal like I was standing in the middle of a tornado where it is perfectly still. 

People were angry. Their complaints mounted. And rightfully so. But they also became unkind, blaming and acting as if their worlds were shattering. What struck me was I, as an individual, was square in the middle of the sweet spot, thinking this is so insignificant in the grand scheme of things. I wanted to stand up and ask, did your sister die today?

After catastrophe hits, I wish humanity could stay in the sweet spot longer, remembering to stay kind. 

Individually, I hope my story reminds you to keep your perspective and remember to differentiate what is truly important from what is merely an inconvenience.
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©2023 Vivian Cobb, DTM

Want to read more? Go ahead and checkout Vivian's column on Snippetz Magazine!