Hate has taken a permanent residency in our world. Society is crying for help and asking for change.
The world is broken.
Humanity is impaired.
We have access to information 24/7. Disturbing information is shoved in our faces via social media, the news, email, text messages and the internet. So much hate to ingest, and almost impossible to fathom.
I could take my grief and throw it back into the world with hate and venom. I could pound my fists on my chest and roar at the world.
But I won’t do that.
I’m taking my grief and showing the world the infinite amount of love, compassion and kindness my father embodied. With my words, I’m connecting with readers around the globe sharing our sorrow as we navigate the ebb and flow of our grief.
It was my dying father’s wish that I start writing again and share my stories. I journaled with him during his entire sickness. He was my proofreader, and I valued his opinion. See, my Dad and I had a thing throughout his cancer journey. We took numerous hospital selfies, some we even shared on Facebook. He would call me and exclaim, “We hit 100 today, 100 likes!!!” My Dad was a social butterfly, the life of the party but his illness stole that from him. The ability to share our photos with friends and family on social media gave him tremendous encouragement during a trying time. Now that he’s gone I look back and smile at those photos. Those hospital selfies have become priceless memories.
By sharing my story and listening to others doors have opened, new friendships have been created and wonderful opportunities have been presented. With each story I am connecting with others and finding value in other people. I’m spending my time learning and loving rather than hating because that’s what will give me inner peace and that is what my father would have wanted.
Human beings are born with amazing capabilities. We are all bestowed the ability to love, to speak words of kindness, and to commit actions of compassion and selflessness.
Yet we live in a world that is filled with so much anger. “Grown ups” actively choosing violence over peace, hate over love. “Grown ups” with the simple click of the send button sending emails filled with pure rage and hate. What has happened that we have evolved into such twisted, malicious human beings? Are we that invalidated in life that we must try to take other’s from their happiness?
By writing and sharing my grief I am actively choosing to spend my time sharing my journey rather than dwelling on hate and ugliness.
We are all someone’s child, parent, sibling, friend or significant other. We are all loved by someone.
We all know pain and sorrow.
So why then, are so many human beings eagerly spewing venom and inflicting pain upon others?
“I have decided to stick with love, hate is too great a burden to bear.” Martin Luther King, Jr.