[pax_et_bonum]

It’s too bad there isn’t more empathy like yours on this thread although it seems that yours has been earned with great suffering.

I totally agree with you about accidents just happening. We need to be gentle with each other. We have no idea what the other person’s sufferings have been.

I hope your theory of why others judge harshly is true. I’ll think on that one.

[Huck]

I often think God made me screw up so much just to make me a more empathetic person :-P About my theory, yeah, I believe that. I think it's the same reason why lefties are utopian dreamers. They just can't accept life as it is. They can't accept death. So they blame conspiracies, and tell themselves there's an earthly solution, if only...

With the judgers, it's the same thing. At least if someone is at fault, they don't have to face the reality that you can be a good person, minding your own business, and blammo, without warning, something can happen(a drunk driver? a bolt of lightening? cancer?) and turn your whole life to ruin. Who wants to deal with that? So they say "that guy was an idiot, he had it coming" and move on.

Humans are strange. We all need help.

[yorkie]

This story is so tragic. Reading some of the above posts brought a favorite poem to mind. I think of it often, especially when I feel ‘quick to judge’ others, and wanted to share it with you all:

***

If I Had Known

If I had known what trouble you were bearing;
What griefs were in the silence of your face;
I would have been more gentle, and more caring,
And tried to give you gladness for a space.
I would have brought more warmth into the place,
If I had known.

If I had known what thoughts despairing drew you;
(Why do we never try to understand?)
I would have lent a little friendship to you,
and slipped my hand within your hand,
And made your stay more pleasant in the land,
If I had known.

—Mary Carolyn Davies

***

Prayers for this devastated family - the little one is in the arms of Jesus.