When I watch the news at night, I'm frequently left depressed, distraught, and worried about the world we live in.
I feel inundated with stories about war, terrorism, hatred, and anger. It can take a great deal of effort to sort through all of the negativity to find the hope — but the hope is there if you know where to look.
Take for instance Rebekah Gregory DiMartino: She lost her leg in the Boston Marathon bombing, but now she's still running marathons and using the traumatic event to make her stronger than ever before.
When I heard the story below about a city desperately trying to return to normalcy, I was deeply moved and felt obligated to share.
Recently, the district of Mansour in western Baghdad fell victim to another senseless act of terrorism. A car bomb exploded and killed 20 civilians. It was a devastating moment for the city's citizens, but one man found courage to inspire others to continue to live.
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The bomb not only killed 20 civilians, but it caused a great deal of wreckage in the high-traffic area. It was tense, and everyone around was on edge in the aftermath of the explosion.
Shocking everyone, one of Iraq's most prestigious musicians, Karim Wasfi, sat down with his cello right where the explosion happened and he began to play — it had not even been one hour since the bomb's detonation. A crowd gathered around to hear him play. He told one local news station, "It's my way of expressing my feelings."
Wasfi, the former head of the National Symphony Orchestra, played through the day and into the night. He and his cello brought peace and solace to thousands of devastated civilians.
He told the BBC: "Obviously, I cannot challenge the bombs with my cello. When things are abnormal and so insane, we have an obligation to be dedicated to making life sustained."
Wasfi is dedicated to peace. He no longer aspires to be a famous performer. He now runs the Karim Wasfi Center for Music and Creativity, which aims to bring peace through art.
He has already inspired other musicians to visit the spot daily to play for mourners, and hopefully his actions can help inspire others to find the beauty in peace.
Please SHARE if you also believe in peace!
