When people near me are sad or hurt, I feel bad and want to help. I also want to understand the sadness and hurt--where did it arise, why did it happen, and what can we do to abate such emotion? The challenge here is that sometimes sadness and hurt occur and there is nothing you can do because it is outside of your realm or ability to help. That's when we pray, send our good wishes, and ask, What can I do to help?
Recently I observed such a sadness--I noticed a happy situation quickly turn sour. Why? I wondered about this and queried to understand better, but there was no explanation. It didn't make sense. The situation continues to concern me--I worry, and will likely continue to seek ways I may be helpful, but I also have to realize that we can't right all wrongs, solve all problems, or make better where hurt occurs.
On the other hand, there's another situation close to me where hurt occurs. In that situation, I am able to help, and that makes me happy. I do have what those people need which is so satisfying. While we can't prevent all hurt or sadness, we often can help out, and that feels good to us and to those we are helping.
When sadness and hurt happens to those who have hurt us, complex emotions follow. Sometimes we may feel a sense of justice thinking they hurt me, and now they are experiencing hurt themselves, but we know those are not right or justified feelings. More hurt or sadness does no one any good--not even those who have been enemies to us. Yet, when people like this are hurt or experience sadness, we may feel a complexity of emotions--we may want to help, but due to those people's feelings and actions towards us, we may be able to do little. This creates a complex situation.
We will all notice hurt and sadness, and we should do what we can to make peace with the situation and help out if and how we can. Onward.