Suffering - a different question...

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Hi, I have only visited this particular site on mnet for the first time this morning and haven't yet read any other posts, but see there have been postings on the subject of suffering. I am not really coming at this from a religious or even spirtual angle, but didn't know where else to post this question...

Does anyone else experience extreme upset at hearing on the news about awful things happening to people? I know most people would feel sadness and empathy with the victims but I seem to feel extreme emotions. It has been worse since I had my children.

For instance, the news of a family whose car crashed into a river and four of the children died had my stomach in knots all day. And yesterday I just couldn't stop crying when I heard on the news about that disgusting man who urinated on a disabled woman while she lay dying in a doorway (and the revolting people who watched laughing) .

I still feel so upset, I just can't stop myself crying when I think about it, at how awful the family must feel.

Is this normal?

yes it is very normal, i think its a good thing that yo u can feel upset at these situations, its worrying when you can't.

i think its somewhat heightened when one has smaller children.

for instance - i reacted in a completely different way to the james bulger case than sarah payne or madeline mcCAn or others. this is becuase my child was small at the tiem it happened.

there are so many atrocities accross the world, the horrible things being done to children accross the globe

the children in africa who pick grains of rice off the floor in the dust becuase they are so hungry

the children in india exposed to toxic chemicles becuase they fix circuit boards of glue shoes for 6p a week

the babies in china left in the gutter to die becuase they are girls.

the 6 year old suicide bombers, the 6 year old malitia in aftrica, the millions of poor children in america and the uk

thats just off the top of my head.

we do what we can. where we can. bbut if we thught abbout the worlds injustice, we wouldnt be able to function each day.

yes its normal. seek not to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee. etc.

Everyone has to decide for themselves what they can do to try to alleviate suffering, whether it is giving money, or helping your neighbour. You have to rationalise your response somehow, otherwise you would go under.

Thanks. My children are quite small, so maybe that is why it is so heightened, as you say.

I can't actually even watch pictures of children in Africa, that is probably the thing that moves me more than anything.

It's true its also about the injustice of the situation, that just makes me angry, and want to change the world (like everyone, I'm sure!) But it's this deep emotion that I find so hard. I don't want to ever stop caring, but actually it does stop me functioning in some respects, on a low grade level. I don't really want to feel quite so emotional quite so often.