One of my favorite Buddhist teachings on the lotus flower reminds me that we must lean into our pain and suffering.
Without suffering, there's no happiness. So we shouldn't discriminate against the mud. We have to learn how to embrace and cradle our own suffering and the suffering of the world, with a lot of tenderness.
-Thich Nhat Hanh, No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering
We are constantly bombarded by suffering, either our own or the collective world's agony. The tragedy in Istanbul along with personal, familial obstacles reminds me to lean into such occurrences and whatever feelings arise from them.