We cannot thank our friends enough for their concerns and messages of support that we received following the last blog. It is a challenging time for our country, our world, our humanity, and our environment. Sometimes it is difficult to write about kindness when there is so much tragedy happening in the world. There is so much to think about in today’s realm. The world is certainly a mix of love, hate, kindness, and confusion.
We were at a big box store last week and saw a boy around fifteen wearing an interesting T-shirt. It was dark gray with a spaceship taking off in the distance and it read “Don’t Leave Me Here.” We found this perplexing and realized that sometimes we feel the same way. We have asked, is there somewhere else we could go to escape the fury of the world right now? The answer is – not really. And yes, mean and selfish people abound BUT so do the good and kind. Prejudicial people live everywhere BUT so do loving and accepting people. Sometimes you just have to look harder to find them.
When you drive in traffic, you can sometimes see the anger, the tension, and the sense of entitlement of some drivers. You can easily get cut off by a defiant person consumed only by themselves. And, although you would like to share a finger gesture, that is not a peace or love sign but you refrain from doing so. In return, you may get a single finger back anyway! You wonder if the world has always been like this, or is something changing? Since the human body is comprised of over thirty trillion cells, is it that their cells are not properly aligned?
Maggie recently put a clown nose in her car that she plans to wear the next time one of those people, whose cells are not aligned properly, cuts her off in traffic or gives her a single finger. At least, she and maybe others will get a momentary kick out of this silly gesture. We genuinely believe that we must take a break from all the unrest in the world for a minute here and there. It is important to escape for short periods and take some time to enjoy at least a little levity, if possible. A smidgen of humor can help us revitalize our spirits, heal our hearts and souls, and make it easier to find the good we are searching for.
A friend recently shared with us that her “God is Goodness.” And, yes, we agree that good and kindness is our deity as well. In seeking goodness, for Black History Month we had the pleasure of attending a performance by the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. As the performers recounted the history of the struggle of those victimized and oppressed by hate and prejudice, we felt the hope in the music and the disappointment and sadness in that the same struggles persists today. It led us to thinking that if one practices a faith, wears a cross, or attends church, synagogue, or mosque, are they not obligated to ask what their place of worship is doing to bring all people together and extinguish hate? Isn’t it time to admit to man’s inhumanity to man and seek the joy of being here for one another? To start a war and destroy and kill for no reason is a sin in any religion or spiritual belief. And, Putin we are speaking directly to you!
Since we currently do not have another planet to go to and neither does that 15-year-old boy, it looks like it is time for us to keep working to make this a better planet and human race for him and for all of us.
Let’s help remind each other to take some time to share some joy and possibly maybe one clown nose at a time.
This blog is dedicated to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson who has earned our respect and a seat on the Highest Court.
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
