Our world seems to slowly be falling apart at it’s seams and order is slipping through our grasp. It’s scary and utterly devastating to watch a country you love so dearly rip itself apart. Sometimes, when I have time to stop and think about all the tragedy happening in our own cities.. in America.. I feel a little hopeless. What kind of future will our children be raised in? Will they be surrounded by hate and anger and fear? Will they have to worry about being attacked and berated for looking different or having conflicting opinions from someone?
Our world is a mess and it’s really difficult not to let this consume us. It’s easy to watch the news and let hate creep into our souls. It’s easy to argue with our family or friends when they don’t agree with us. It’s easy to lose faith in humanity. I am guilty of all of these things.. I’m sure at this point, we all are.
But you know what isn’t easy? Looking past the hate. Looking past the differences. Looking past the politics. Listening to views you may not agree with. Listening to a news station that is on the opposite side of your political party. Listening to your friend explain why they believe what they believe.
Look, there are BAD people in our country.. REALLY, REALLY BAD people. There are bad people everywhere, in every community, in every profession. And sometimes these bad people outshine the good ones. But if we are able to look past these bad people.. if we are able to stop grouping human beings into categories because of deeds committed by a few democrats, republicans, police officers, doctors, black people, white people, Hispanic people etc.. we might be able to make it through this. Because, at the end of the day we are all simply human beings.
We are all something else too.. we are Americans and that makes us tough and resilient. We’ve come a long way in 244 years. Our founding fathers broke away from the British Monarchy and established a country where its citizens had a voice. We have freed slaves and given women the right to vote. We have been a beacon of hope for many as they found their American dream upon immigrating to our shores. We have created the best universities in the world. We have defended the weak and oppressed from terrorists. We have come so far but, of course, there is always room for improvement.. so long as we don’t destroy ourselves from the inside out first.
We need to start looking for the good and start BEING THE GOOD. Our world needs so much more goodness, more love, more honesty, more compassion. Be that and you will make a difference. And then maybe, just maybe, together we can slowly dig ourselves out of this mess that has been created.
Love, Jessica 