What do You do When the News Is Too Heartbreaking to Take?

I woke up this morning and the first thing I saw was the alert on my phone about the shootings in Las Vegas. You probably did too. I quickly tried to find out as much information as I could, did I know anyone who had been there, had my friends who lived in Vegas checked in as safe (they all did, thankfully).

As the day went on, the weight of this on the heels of the hurricanes and the human tragedy taking place in Puerto Rico and still in Houston and Florida, it got to be too much. I cried on the air as I was trying to get information out about Las Vegas. I've never done that before. Co-workers asked me work related questions today and I'm pretty sure I had a deer-in-the-headlights look in my eyes. I felt useless today.

I realized that while I can't help every person impacted by the hurricanes nor can I hug everyone who was at the festival in Las Vegas or hold their hand in support, there are some things I can do to try to help balance out all of the tragic news.

While none of these are particularly huge things, if they make one person smile and feel good for a bit then that's what I'll do. Things like putting happy notes under someone's windshield wiper or putting them on a co-worker's keyboard while they are away from their desk, writing my husband a love letter for him to find in the morning as he's getting ready for work, or calling a friend or family member that I haven't talked to much lately.

Paying something forward is always positive and powerful, like paying for the person's order behind you in the drive-thru, maybe paying the bridge toll for the next 5 cars after you, going to Walmart and putting money down on someones's layaway account to help ease their financial burden.

For me, the act of making something for someone is therapy. If I can create a card, make a table runner, create a Halloween lunch bag for my grandson, or sew anything for anyone, then I channel my fears and tears into something better. Something that lets someone know that I am thinking about them and I love them. After all, that's what counts.

Let's do what we can to take care of each other.

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