In the Darkness There Is Light
There's been a lot of heavy shit in the world lately. People getting murdered. Rapists getting slaps on the wrist. Vile vitriol against LGBT people, Muslims, black people, and women. Every word that comes out of Donald Trump's mouth. And for me personally, standing on the sidelines and watching my sister's life come apart and her kids wading through the debris. It hurts. All of it hurts.
Sometimes it's far too easy to fall into that pool of pain, to worry that all the world is becoming suffering, that the whole weight of it could fall on any one of us at any moment. But even in the darkness there is still so much light. There's sunshine and time with friends. There's beauty-physical and imagined-to brighten our days and chances to become better versions of ourselves. There's every act of kindness that we see online or on the street. There's the chance to meet someone new, try something new, push our own boundaries. There's the chance to love each other and ourselves, to go on, to grow on.
I hope that I remember this happiness and this optimism, that I can store it up to sustain myself when that darkness comes to my doorstep. Because it visits all of us in turn, and I know I cannot stave it off. But I hope I remember. I hope I hold on. And even more than that, I hope that I can share every scrap of hope and love I've been given with those who are struggling more than I am today. I hope I can figure out how to be a helper who lifts others up in times of sorrow. I hope that I can keep putting in positivity to lessen the burden of the pain in this world.
It's easy to be an optimist in the summer, I suppose. It's easy to have hope when your trust is rewarded as mine has been of late. So let me take these gifts and use them for the benefit of all. That is my wish and my prayer.
Sometimes it's far too easy to fall into that pool of pain, to worry that all the world is becoming suffering, that the whole weight of it could fall on any one of us at any moment. But even in the darkness there is still so much light. There's sunshine and time with friends. There's beauty-physical and imagined-to brighten our days and chances to become better versions of ourselves. There's every act of kindness that we see online or on the street. There's the chance to meet someone new, try something new, push our own boundaries. There's the chance to love each other and ourselves, to go on, to grow on.
I hope that I remember this happiness and this optimism, that I can store it up to sustain myself when that darkness comes to my doorstep. Because it visits all of us in turn, and I know I cannot stave it off. But I hope I remember. I hope I hold on. And even more than that, I hope that I can share every scrap of hope and love I've been given with those who are struggling more than I am today. I hope I can figure out how to be a helper who lifts others up in times of sorrow. I hope that I can keep putting in positivity to lessen the burden of the pain in this world.
It's easy to be an optimist in the summer, I suppose. It's easy to have hope when your trust is rewarded as mine has been of late. So let me take these gifts and use them for the benefit of all. That is my wish and my prayer.