I can't sleep. Again. Could it possibly be that the world as we know it is going all sorts of topsy turvy? I came to terms with the Covid outbreak and cancelling plans, hotel stays, and holidays. I embraced the quarantine with solid resolve to come out better than when I went in. I complained minimally and smiled frequently, knowing that we are all sifting through the same storm. And now a new storm is brewing.
A major racial injustice has occurred and my heart aches. I am sad for the victim, I am sad for his family, I am sad that someone thought those actions were justifiable, I am sad that this is what our nation has become. Not everyone, though. Not everywhere. And not every time. However, watching the news, my Facebook feed, listening to people of different races and cultures speak out is eye opening and heart-wrenching.
I choose to live in my own happy little bubble. I admit that. It is very easy to turn off the news when it gets disturbing or ignore it. Well, folks, this is hard to ignore. Very much so. People are upset and rightfully so. People are rioting. Violence is occurring. Looting and pandemonium are ensuing.
Peaceful protests are occurring out there, though. People are getting their point across. People are realizing that if we truly just stop to see each other, hear each other, and respect each other, then change can happen. There are people speaking out about how to make changes. People are speaking their truth and it is shocking. We need to hear it. We need to accept that changes be made.
We teach our daughter to respect everyone. We teach her to be nice, share, use kind words, and choose kind. She sees differences in people and embraces that. She asks questions of color, culture, and so on. We answer as honestly as her age will allow. I hope she always stays open-minded, openhearted, and thought provoking. I hope she can grow up in a peaceful world and not have to fear going to a store for fear of violence or fear speaking her truth for fear of indifference. I hope she is always able to view the world as she does now, with a heart full of possibilities and the ability to see people for who they are, not how they look.
I am an avid reader, so I tie a lot of things into what I read from a book. There are so many books that kids read about acceptance, right verses wrong, and equality. Are adults reading these? Did the rules of kindergarten stop applying somewhere along the way? The quote I keep hearing over and over in my head is, "When given the choice between being right and being kind, CHOOSE KIND." -
Wonder
The other thing that keeps popping into my head is the "Everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten." The last word is LOOK. It's easy. Look at the world with a kind heart that is open to possibilities, differences, change, acceptance. Don't look away when you should be helping. Look to others to make changes if you can't start them on your own. Look for help and know that kind people are everywhere. Not every police officer is the same. Not every civilian is the same. Not every white person is the same, just as not every black or brown person is not the same. Just because we don't all look the same doesn't mean we can't all co-exist the same. We have to look for acceptance. We must try harder. We must teach this at home. And early. And often.
Just choose kind. And if that is too much, then remember the rules of kindergarten :) It takes a village and I am willing to work on it just like everyone else should.
