Jumpstart on a new year

Today, 12-14-12, has been one of the most heart wrenching days of my life.

Many years ago, 60 Minutes ran a segment on Audis and a safety problem they had with the gas peddle.  It resulted in a mother killing her child by crushing him against the garage wall with her car.  I could not stop crying for days.

Several years later, I discovered that I am an "empath".  The amount of empathy I have for others is simply overwhelming at times.  I could feel the pain of the mother, the father, the child.  Once I learned that I could control it, I did.  It's not that I'm hard hearted, it's the opposite.  If I allow myself to feel for every person who experiences tragedy, I will surely die from grief.  So I work very hard not to let that happen.

I'm fighting it hard today.  So many children murdered.  So... very... awful... right before Christmas... it's just... unbelievable.  I have to do something positive.

Today Yvonne Rupert posted something at buzzfeed - 26 Moments That Restored Our Faith in Humanity This Year.  The thing about being an empath is... I feel the joy too... the ecstasy of the little girl who met her favorite Rugby player, the astonishment and happiness that the Downs man felt, the love of the dog for his human... I feel it all, and it gives me happiness and joy, it gives me hope, it gives me reason for living.

So that's about it for the inaugural post.  I will be collecting these joyful moments, the "things that make you go awwwwwww" times, the random acts of kindness, the proof that humanity is not dead, is not evil, the proof that nearly all of us have an infinite capacity to love, to cherish, to give, to nurture, to live.  That is the purpose of this blog.