Fall-ing Into Meaning
In the miracle business, we like to say that everybody has a job
and only you know what that job is
because you are the only person with your unique set of time, place, passion, and experience that can do the next right thing.
-The Miracle Collectors
Depending on where we live, signs of Fall surround us. Whether it's the brilliance of the leaves as they shine brightly before they begin their descent to the ground, or the subtle changes in the afternoon light as the sun's march across the sky becomes lower on the horizon. This month Joan ties another kind of fall to the idea of finding meaning in our lives by adding brilliance of our own to the world and those in it.
Collecting Miracle Moments One Story at a Time.
Joan and Katie
Thinking about fall reminds me that like the leaves, I too, am in the autumn of my life: childhood long gone, babies grown now with babes of their own, and I wonder what my personal brilliance might look like before my own inevitable exit. The Miracle Collectors tackles this question head on with a whole section on Finding Meaning - two such easy words to say or to write, but ones that sometimes can be hard to put into action.
Tying the importance of finding meaning to miracles is a hallmark of an amazing story that has continued to change lives. Kevin Hines was a troubled 19-year-old, suffering from mental health illnesses that were literally killing him. In a horrific display of their power, the voices in his head finally commanded him to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Unable to hold the voices at bay, Keven jumped in head first and in 4 seconds traveling at 75 mph hit the water 25 stories below. The moment he took off he knew it was a terrible mistake and he wanted to live. While most die in the swirling and treacherous currents of the bay, Kevin remained conscious and as he came to the surface of the water, a sea lion recognized his distress and swam beneath him keeping Kevin afloat and buoying him up until the rescue boat could reach him.
Over the years we've noticed that miracle stories often result in finding new meaning as one's perception on their own life changes, and this story is no exception. After his miraculous survival, Kevin was able to get the help he so desperately needed. He has found true meaning in his life by speaking openly and with compassion, as one who has been there, to groups around the world offering his message of hope, aiming to instill a kernel of that illusive, yet potent, gem in the head and hearts of those who need it most. With suicide a national pandemic he knows what his job is and what he is called to do.
While this is a wonderful success story, what are we to do if we are don't have that traumatic experience, can we still make a difference? A few weeks ago (September 10th) in Nashville Tennessee, music legend Jon Bon Jovi showed us the answer is a resounding YES. He and his team were on the Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge shooting a music video and after wrapping up the filming, he noticed that a woman on the far side of the bridge had climbed over the rail. Approaching her calmly, he and a member of his team were able to coax the woman back over the railing and stayed with her until help arrived. Sometimes things just have your name on it, you are the right person at the right time to act to save a life and be the miracle for someone else.
That's what finding meaning and revealing our brilliance can look like. We all can look around, see someone who is hurting and offer a kind word, a reassuring presence, or a simple hug. As the Nashville Police Chief John Drake explained, "It takes all of us to help keep each other safe." That may be our most important job. (Joan)