"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." -Helen Keller
I've Been Thinking...
I was sitting in my hotel room in New York a few nights ago feeling unsure about what to write this week.
Monday was Random Acts of Kindness Day. Friday was National Caregivers Day. I knew that in some way I wanted to write about both. I knew that I wanted to write about the power of caring and kindness, and that I wanted to honor all the caregivers out there who are doing tireless work to care for others and move humanity forward. I live in awe of their generosity and kindness every single day.
Then I watched the Democratic debate Wednesday night, and I was left feeling rather unsettled afterward. In fact, I thought about them the whole next day. I thought about the attacks, the takedowns, and the gotcha moments. I thought about how unkind some of the comments were, and about how the whole thing played out like a heavyweight fight in Las Vegas. I sat there wondering to myself, "How did we get here?"
So many people shared a similar sentiment with me afterward. They told me they feel discouraged. Hopeless. "What’s happening to our country?" they asked. "How do we fix this divide? How do we stop screaming at each other and stop trying to take each other down?"
My response to them: the divide can only be closed by us. The screaming and yelling can only be stopped by us. The caring, the kindness, and the optimism we want our leaders to exhibit...well, we can exhibit it ourselves.