I have the luxury of living in a very safe neighborhood. My kids walk on a well maintained bike path a quarter mile to one of the best schools in the state. They walk with other kids and are watched over the whole way by other adults who all have children and want them all to be safe. I have the luxury - and it is a luxury - of sending my kids to school each day knowing they'll arrive home safe every afternoon.
My heart breaks for the parents who don't have this. Especially the mothers and fathers in Pakistan who sent their children to school, undoubtedly praying that they would return safe, only to have their children taken from them by hateful men. To those families I want to say, the world grieves with you.
Flying to Pakistan to hug those people and hold their hands through this horrible time isn't an option for any of us I imagine. But we can do something. We can all be a little kinder today. Give a little extra. Count to ten before we lose our tempers. Forgive. Tell a friend we care for them. Tell a co-worker we admire them. Tell a loved one how special they are.
After the heartbreak of the last few days the whole world needs a hug. We need people to be more caring, more forgiving, more loving.
I know you're busy. I know you have your own problems today.
If you read the blog comments you know one of our Lovelies is fighting cancer. One of our Lovelies has a mother in the hospital this week because she had a heart attack Sunday night. We're all fighting something. No one has a pain free life. I wish I had a magic wand to make it all better, but I don't.
What I do have is love for you, and my neighbor, and every person I meet today. I can do that much. I can be kinder, smile more, lift people up instead of tearing them down. And so can you. Try to do one more nice thing than you planned today. Try to help one more person in whatever way it is.
Give some change to a buskar. Call your grandma you never talk to. Whatever it is. The world needs love today, and you, my Lovelies, can be the ones who save the world today. You are the heroes we need right now.
♥BIG HUGS♥
*hugs* I heard about the children and cried as I read the news. I try every day to be cheerful, helpful, and caring and I don't understand people who do things like that or the hostage taking in Sydney or the men who think women shouldn't read and go to school and be treated as people. I know it can be hard to be nice to someone acting mean or cruel or thoughtless or arrogant but the fact that I can stay calm and remain nice means it can be done. People have to want to do so.
ReplyDeleteI went out today for my groceries and smiled at everyone I passed in the store, gave holiday greetings to anyone I stopped to talk to, and was lucky enough to get a cab driver I have had quite often and have struck up a casual friendship with. I was able to give him wishes for a Merry Christmas and knew I made him happy when I remembered that he had just had his birthday and asked about it. Little things but they help make a person's day.
I can't help those parents who have just lost their children at a time of year that is supposed to bring happiness. Nor can I do anything for the people who lost friends and relatives in Sydney, Philadelphia, and all the other places I see in the news every day. All I can do is try to make my little corner of the world safer and happier and hope the ripples can be spread outward.
If I could grant wishes I'd give you that magic wand. I'd give everyone I know would use it for making the world better a magic wand. Since I can't I will do what I can to make the world better and know that I have good friends doing the same. *hugs*