How life works, how the planets function, how the world turns—it’s too much for me to comprehend. How belief systems are formed, societies operate, and how relationships evolve is an ongoing process that seems too overwhelming for me to figure out.  One thing I do know is “nothing is how it seems to be.”

Hurricane Harvey hitting Texas, and Hurricane Irma destroying what seems like the entire Caribbean, (and, as of this writing, Hurricane Maria is on her way) have created a new level of grief that Floridians have never experienced. It gives us a peek into the unknown, and reminds us once more that we are not in charge.

The universe, as we know it, has a message to us if we choose to see it that way. It seems to me the message is pay attention. As I see it Mother Earth is making a correction, cleansing itself, as she always does, and punctuating the need for balance. I have no idea about you, the reader, but in my eyes, many segments of our world seem out of balance.

Polarization is not balance. Good health needs balance, mental health needs balance, politics need balance, societies scream for balance.  Over the last couple of years many, many times I have heard there is a universal shift taking place. Who knows if that is true, but if it is then what does it mean?  I do not know.

Here is what I do know.

As tragic as the destruction was and will continue to be, some good will shine through. People have been and will continue to step up, inspire and set the bar even higher for the next generation to step into. They have shown us and will continue to show us what heroes really look like.  Average everyday citizens rising to a higher calling. Personal needs set aside, while everyday heroes demonstrate and lay down a model of compassion, empathy, disregard for self, and highlight the art of spirituality. These heroes are as strong as these hurricanes. Their force expands in a way that may be hard to understand yet is simple at the same time. They will touch lives, and through that those lives may be changed forever. They will give hope where there was none. Their acts of kindness will make a difference. What is this power they possess? It is Love. Pure, without conditions—just love.

Sometimes there is no answer, sometimes there is no logic, but love is easy to see in its purest form, especially when it comes in the form of a Hero. For all the people who volunteered, for the charities of good, for every person who said one prayer, put one penny in a jar at the cash registers as you checked out—we can only thank you! Helping others, joining hands with the connected link of life is a primary key to restoring the balance. In the end, it is love that makes a difference.

With peace, love and laughter,

Joseph J. Dunne