I haven't met him Mom, so how can I be sad....

Said my son to me. We lost a family member in one of the unfortunate fire incident, in Bangalore. We were discussing about it as it was too shocking to absorb what had happened. He, a fourteen year old, was listening and observing us. I tried to help him recollect. He couldn't and felt bad. It pains when the things going on in the News in the Television or the Newspapers which we follow sort of mechanically, happens to us, or in the vicinity. When we watch or read or hear about people dying in natural calamities or terrorist attacks etc, there are emotions, empathy involved but then like the son said, we don't know them so we don't know how to feel strong enough.
We did not know the young students who died in the German bakery blast in the Oxford of the East, on personal front. How can we be sad ? And more than that what can we do about it ? The School children are being taught 'Disaster Management' as a subject to sensitise them. The fire emergency exits in the Carlton Towers in Bangalore where the fire broke out were locked !! making the rescue impossible. How can this disaster be managed ? Death being rampant all around, we adults can get desensitised at times. It calls for a step ahead in the area of 'Feelings'. Just feeling sad is not enough Son, I wanted to say. What can we do with the pain we feel ? How can we avert such things ? How can we reach the people who have lost their loved ones ? Can we pray ? Can we create a movement ? How long will we sit and watch things going around in the world, taking hundreds and hundreds of life ? How can we contribute..Now ? Life is short...to leave things to do later....till someone in the family dies. I am yet thinking of the solution my son and the younger generation needs to know when the question pops in their mind, 'I don't know him so how can I feel sad?'

I haven't met him Mom, so how can I be sad....

Said my son to me. We lost a family member in one of the unfortunate fire incident, in Bangalore. We were discussing about it as it was too shocking to absorb what had happened. He, a fourteen year old, was listening and observing us. I tried to help him recollect. He couldn't and felt bad. It pains when the things going on in the News in the Television or the Newspapers which we follow sort of mechanically, happens to us, or in the vicinity. When we watch or read or hear about people dying in natural calamities or terrorist attacks etc, there are emotions, empathy involved but then like the son said, we don't know them so we don't know how to feel strong enough.
We did not know the young students who died in the German bakery blast in the Oxford of the East, on personal front. How can we be sad ? And more than that what can we do about it ? The School children are being taught 'Disaster Management' as a subject to sensitise them. The fire emergency exits in the Carlton Towers in Bangalore where the fire broke out were locked !! making the rescue impossible. How can this disaster be managed ? Death being rampant all around, we adults can get desensitised at times. It calls for a step ahead in the area of 'Feelings'. Just feeling sad is not enough Son, I wanted to say. What can we do with the pain we feel ? How can we avert such things ? How can we reach the people who have lost their loved ones ? Can we pray ? Can we create a movement ? How long will we sit and watch things going around in the world, taking hundreds and hundreds of life ? How can we contribute..Now ? Life is short...to leave things to do later....till someone in the family dies. I am yet thinking of the solution my son and the younger generation needs to know when the question pops in their mind, 'I don't know him so how can I feel sad?'