Loving My Son, Standing for Good
The madness unfolding in our nation has left my heart hurting…
For the many who have been gunned down for being imperfect rather than a literal threat. (Necessary arrests or detainment can and do occur every day without the loss of life.)
For those, like me, fearing the same could happen to our sons or daughters.
For those who think more violence is the answer. (Wrong!)
For those who’ve been injured or killed because of that incorrect solution (especially the officers in Dallas, where some of my family resides).
For those who have no answers and are giving in to despair.
For those who don’t care to seek answers because this isn’t their issue, when really it is, since all lives have value.
For those who refuse to understand that different than does not equal less than.
For those who allow fear to foster hate rather than muster the courage to look beyond the surface into that “different” person’s eyes, heart and life story to find commonalities that cross all cultural divides.
For those who can’t take a step back in a moment of tension and view an encounter from another’ s perspective; put the shoe on the other foot; or consider how they’d react if the “characters” in the “plot” looked like, talked like or lived like them.
For those who are indifferent, because they haven’t realized that what happens to their neighbor is ultimately happening to them.
My heart hurts.
My words aren’t enough.
My prayers will continue.
So will my exercising my right to vote.
And so will my belief that love is the most powerful antidote to the hate seeking to strangle our world.
Please join me in caring a little more than feels comfortable about those around you, regardless of whether they look like you, think like you or care like you. Love anyway.
Salute and thank the good and kind officers you encounter. They are out there, and their families are living in fear of what could happen when they walk out of their doors to go to work today.
Be kind to the store clerk, co-worker, driver in the car next you who seems disdainful or angry. Your extension of grace could be the door that opens their hearts to seeing humanity in all.
Hug your babies tighter today and remind them that there’s safety in your arms, if nowhere else. I know I will.
And I’m extending a virtual hug to you, too. Because if you took the time to read this, I know you need it.
Your heart may be hurting, too, and you may have as few answers as I do.
But together we must stand, because divided…. we already know that unfortunate answer.
Please, please don’t let hate continue to win.
Love can move mountains, and so can mustard-seed faith and our determined, focused, positive action.
#LovingMyBlackSon
#LovingAllHumanity
#PrayingforDallas
#StandingForGood
This post originally appeared on Stacy’s Huffington Post community blog.
To read more of Stacy’s body of work, visit StacyHawkinsAdams.com
