Was it the random streak she happened to notice across the sky?
Or successfully jamming her brakes to avoid the car that suddenly stopped in front of her, and realizing her mechanic just saved her life?
Or reading the label on her favorite coffee and noticing the beans were picked by indigenous people from a distant land?
Any of these reasons or maybe the slow accumulation of experiences finally crystallized into her new epiphany:
She is one participant in her life’s journey fully realized by the choices of many actors.
Now what? Can I proceed to view my life as my own when it actually is not?
Can I look at people I do not know as strangers when their choices are contributing to my well being?
Does it make sense to pray for my nation alone when so many influencers to my life journey live beyond our national borders?
No
I can no longer view my life as I did before.
Us used to be very clear: myself, my family, my friends, my employer, my nation, my religion, and my preferences. And Them were not Us.
Yet how can my mechanic be a “Them” when he saved my life?
As I consider the food I eat, the clothes I wear, the bed I sleep on each night, and the home that provides me shelter, I realize virtually everything I utilize to support my wellness was produced by people and with resources from places around our world.
Can all these people who I rely on daily remain beyond my thoughts and concerns?
No
I must acknowledge my Us has expanded to include almost everyone.
And who remains beyond us?
Anyone who hurts us.
Now, I am finally awake.