Feeling Helpless

America is once again a witness to a mass shooting.  I am not going to go into the details about each one.  You can find that information on the news.  But if you are like me after each one of these incidents, you feel helpless. 

One can donate money to some organization that may help the victims and their families.  Donate to the Red Cross who usually help at the site of the incident.  Donate money to your religious denomination who can provide for the needs of people in the area. 

It is also during these times when I want to silently create.  Usually what I create does not go to the victims of the shooting or disaster but the need for beauty is needed at these times so creating is healing in itself.

Studies have shown that creating alleviates depression.  If you are doing something repetitive like knitting or crocheting, that repetitive motion releases serotonin, a chemical in the brain that is a natural anti-depressant. 

For a lot of people creating something helps relax them.  Staying calm will help with any helpless feelings.  It also helps alleviate stress.   Even if the incident is hundreds of miles away, it still can create stress in you. Another thing that often happens to me after one of these situations, even miles away, is that I cannot sleep.  Creating relaxes me so I am able to sleep.

Creating can also be a form of prayer.  If while you are creating you are sending prayers of healing to the communities involved how can that be a bad thing?  Prayer is never bad.

And when something like a shooting or a natural disaster occurs, you grieve even if it is not in your community.  You naturally feel the pain of other people.  Creating something beautiful helps with the grieving.

And if you want to give what you made to someone else, share it with a homeless shelter or an abused woman’s shelter.  If it is a painting it can brighten someone’s day.  If it is for an individual, they will not feel as alone.  Just remember to create even in the worst times.

 

©2019 Cheryl Fillion