Thursday, January 12, 2017

Beauty from Tragedy

I’m a news lover. One of my favourite things at the end of the day is to sit down and catch the late night news. My Twitter account exists for the sole purpose of helping me stay informed via the major news sources. Those closest to me love to rib me over this, suggesting that perhaps I’m 30 years older than my biological age. That’s okay. I’m comfortable in my own skin—I can take it.

However, my interest in staying informed of the world’s events isn’t all that keen these days. There’s been no end of doom and gloom in everything from crashing commodity prices to contentious political results to war and terror. It’s difficult to find the good news stories, and as a result, my interest in the news is waning.

Having said all that, I’m still convinced that all is not as it seems. Where despair seems to reign, one just has to look a little harder to find the light that shines through the cracks.

I am amazed at the way people and communities pull together in difficult times. Our struggling economy, which has impacted so many CLAC members, has not only produced tragic situations, but also hope and goodness. When the going gets tough, the tough get moving. Those who have more tend to give more. Food bank usage has increased, but there also appears to be an increase in food and charitable donations.

The Fort McMurray fire showed the amazing way that people come together to embrace those who have lost everything. The outpouring of generosity will be one of the biggest things remembered as we look back at those awful moments.

As we journey in the weeks and months ahead, we need to continue to support each other as communities and as a union local. It’s one of the great things of being a collective. We have each other’s backs and our attention turns to helping each other under trying circumstances.

Dennis Perrin, Prairies Director

Beauty from Tragedy

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