A Life Worth Living

I am currently reading Lighting the Way: Nine Women Who Changed Modern America by Karenna Gore Schiff. As the title suggests the book focuses on nine women who had a huge impact on social justice in our country. I have only read about two of the women, but I already feel very humbled.

I started to cry when I finished the second chapter which was about Mother Jones, a women who unabashedly fought against child labor and for the rights of coal miners. Mother Jones lost of four of her children and her husband to yellow fever. The event seemed to spur her into fighting for justice and for the rights of the common man. She worked with unions and lead strikes well into her late eighties and early nineties. When she died the country mourned her loss. In a radio broadcast of her funeral, one of the speakers said the following:

"Wealthy coal operators and capitalists throughout the United States are breathing sighs of relief while toil-worn men and women are weeping tears of bitter grief. The reason for this contrast of relief and sorrow is apparent. Mother Jones is dead."

I cannot imagine higher praise. Hers was a life worth living.

I just watched an episode of Law and Order that rocked me to the core. Ultimately the story is irrelevant, but what I felt was deep. As a social worker I am so jaded to suffering, because I am exposed to it often. Although this particular story was fictional, I have seen tragedies that were real. Why? Why is there so much suffering in this world? Why do some people get to live lives of wealth and privilege, while others scrape by? It's so painful to see someone try their best and still not get ahead.