Hi everyone. I hope everyone is doing as well as can be expected. I haven’t written in a long time, and that has been intentional. Obviously, there is a lot going on right now, and I have been trying to wrap my head around everything, and doing a lot of soul searching. I am emotionally exhausted, and I’m sure a lot of us are. At first, I wasn’t going to address what was going on here in the US right now, but it has become more and more clear that I have to (for myself, not anyone else).

I have been on social media A LOT, however, I have not posted much on anything. What I have done is read a lot of comments on a lot of posts by public accounts, my friends accounts, and even some of our local pages. I did this to try and gain some insight from other people’s perspective, to try and see things objectively.

Of all the things I have watched, and read, there’s one thing that stands out the most. That is the amount of hatred in this world right now. One week we were all participating in #aworldofhearts, where we were all united in spreading as much love as possible – regardless of where you lived, what color your skin was, or what your occupation was. We participated by cutting out paper hearts and posting them in our windows or drawing them on our sidewalks. Lots of people even handed out bottled water and hand sanitizer to our mail and delivery drivers. Literally the next week everyone is shouting profanity, spewing heinous words, and we are witnessing an overall large spike in violence.

We Are All Entitled To Our Opinions

One of the things I have been seeing a lot of, is people arguing back and forth about their opinions, and trying to shove their own beliefs down other peoples throats. Now don’t get me wrong, there is a lot going on right now that I absolutely agree with, and a lot that I absolutely don’t agree with. But that doesn’t mean I am going to get in someone’s face and scream about what I believe to be right. Or become a keyboard warrior for that matter. We are all individuals! This also means that we all have our own individual way of thinking about things as well.

The problem is that nobody is speaking to each other. People are speaking AT each other, and shouting at each other. No good ever comes out of a screaming match. All sides just end up walking away even more heated and emotionally charged than before. So even though we are all entitled to our opinions, please remember that we are not entitled to be mean and cruel.

Take The Time To Listen

This is something that I think we could all use to be reminded of, even under normal circumstances.(Myself included) There is a lot of narrative going around right now, and on a lot of different topics. Sometimes we feel very strongly about certain things, and that’s okay. I also think it’s important, though, to take the time and understand from another point of view. Just as you want them to hear your message, give them the same respect. You might just learn something new.

As I’ve mentioned, there is a lot going on that I do agree with, and a lot that I don’t agree with. So with that being said, I have taken the time to learn and unlearn things. I’ve tried to look at things with a completely open heart and mind. Honestly, that was the best thing I could have done because it has given me a lot of perspective. Don’t be afraid to come to your own conclusions, and be yourself. It’s okay to have your voice heard, and to hear others, and not agree on every single thing.

I do want to point out that although listening to others, and hearing their voice is important, if someone starts being nasty and yelling; it is probably best to just walk away. NOBODY deserves to be treated with such disrespect, and or degraded. Honestly, I have seen hate come from all different angles right now, so please know that I am not singling any one group out here. All of this hate makes my heart so heavy.

Be Kind, Love Prevails

This has been said many many times, but I’m going to say it again. We are all going through something. Whoever you come across in the grocery store, or walking past on the sidewalk. And yes, there is a lot that we are all going through together right now, but please also remember that it affects us all differently as we all have different situations.

The pandemic for example: Some have lost their jobs and business within a matter of weeks, and may no longer have a means to feed their families. Others have been able to keep their jobs if they have been deemed as an essential worker. Some are at home with their kids, and able to cherish their time with them. Others have had to separate themselves from their families due to their jobs, or maybe not even able to see their loved ones at all if they live in different towns and homes.

If you come across someone in passing, send them a smile. If you have to interact with someone, please do it with kindness. Hatred is contagious, but so are smiles. It costs absolutely nothing to be kind to someone. Love will always win, love prevails. You might just make someone’s day, and even your own.

Featured Photo by Loe Moshkovska from Pexels