Is Tragedy Meant to Awaken Presence?

The news of the weekend gave me such pause ...

As I’ve aged, and lived through more moments of tragedy, I can’t help but ponder the complete randomness of life and death.

A flash flood in Texas.

A fatal crash on the A-52 in Zamora, Spain.

One minute you’re living your life. The next, everything changes.

Greater minds than mine, Epicurus, Kushner, have wrestled with the same question: Why do bad things happen to good people?

Yet no one has an answer.

And then this—my son’s car.

He walked away.

No physical injuries.

But a second later, and this could’ve been a very different story.

I had a different article planned for today.

But I can’t stop thinking about the families. The grief. The missing children.

Bad things happen to good people.

All the time. It’s sad.

Yet it’s life. It’s real life. Nothing artificial about it.

And yes, life will go on.

Yes, the markets will open.

Yes, we’ll show up to work.

Yes, the Prime deliveries will continue.

Until the next moment that stops us in our tracks.

Even just for a breath.

That’s why I’m choosing to be intentional with my presence today.

Because when everything else feels uncertain, one truth remains:

You get one life.
How you spend your time,
It’s all you have.