Rescue presents life lessons

The heroic rescue of the youth soccer team in northern Thailand presents important life lessons and inspires us to refocus on what is important.

The human response to this potential tragedy is readily seen in the dedication of first responders, volunteers, and government officials. However, careful scrutiny of this crisis scenario yields more subtle revelations.

Based upon their post-rescue behavior, it appears that neither the survivors nor their families view those affected as victims. No agency is being sued for failing to place a warning sign near the entrance to the cave. No individual is being blamed for placing the young team members in harm's way. Instead we see survivors who demonstrate both resilience and graceful gratitude untainted by cries of malfeasance.

We note a child's parent assuring the team's coach that he is not at fault. We observe a government official who asserts the importance of minimizing distractions over the need to know, when he requests that media be removed from the immediate area as the rescue team initiates critical rescue efforts. As we reflect on this crisis, with gratitude for its happy conclusion, let us recall the "lessons" it presents.

Blame and litigation are not the antecedents of accountability or resolution leading to future improvement. Persons who experience tragedy are not always victims. Our need to know rarely supersedes the privacy of those in crisis. The universe has presented us with a dramatic teachable moment from which there is much to learn.

Ronald Bearwald

Northbrook