**Author’s Note** I originally shared this blog just after the last Presidential election, in 2020. It was a few months after Covid entered our lives, and after months of unrest, protests and so many other things that a few years ago seemed unthinkable. I felt like now, right before midterm elections, it was still relevant to share again…
For as long as I can remember, I have most easily and best shared my thoughts and feelings about everything, in written form. As a kid, I loved having pen pals. As a teen, I wrote “love letters” to practically every boy I ever introduced myself to and starting around that same time I began journaling. When my father was diagnosed with cancer in early 2010, I began this blog as a way to share news and keep family and friends updated on his condition and prognosis. I also used it to write about my feelings during his 4-month battle, and immediately after his death blogging became my safe place.
Now, I find myself turning to the blank, white screen with more urgency and frequency than I have in the past few years. From being speechless and feeling helpless to typing a mile a minute, not caring about being grammatically correct, I have filled line after line, space after space lately, just to delete a lot of it when I calmed down.
It is difficult to find the right solution, especially when, at least for me, there isn’t a clear one to be seen in this world we live in. I remember as a kid politics not being divisive. I recall a time when EVERYONE treated police officers with respect. I remember days, weeks, months going by without any protests, riots (I didn’t even know what that word meant until the Rodney King riots erupted) and mass killings.
Funny enough, I also recall a time when parents weren’t afraid to parent. “It takes a village” meant any adult that happened to see a child acting out had full authority from the parents to punish accordingly. I remember when people from all walks of life – rich, poor, black, white, Christian, atheist would come together for cookouts, or just to hang out while the kids ran around the yard. Nowadays, we can’t even plan a date night or play date unless it’s a month in advance, and on coordinated/shared family calendars. And heaven forbid our kid does not make the basketball, cheerleading, football team, all plans are cancelled so parents can rant and rave and pull their kids out of schools, friendships, etc just to prove that all kids who have ever had a thought about trying out for something should make the team.
Man, I miss the simple life and the “old days”. I miss TGIF on ABC. I miss family shows with wholesome, teachable moments. Now, we get people like Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein.
I so badly wanted to post a blog about all my feelings, thoughts and emotions concerning our world, right now. However, as I read from someone else’s social media recently, it’s not going to change any minds. People feel and think what they want, and unless you’re a celebrity (And often, not even then) your thoughts don’t carry enough influence to sway other’s beliefs.
I am truly saddened at the way the world, and especially America is, right now. I hate the divisiveness. I dislike the hatred, the unkind words, the disrespect of everything and everyone that you may not agree with. I frankly hate the disrespect of our current and most recent, former Presidents. I was raised to respect my elders and even if my parents didn’t vote for whomever was President, as a child I never once heard them talk down about the leader of our country. I don’t agree with everything ANY President in my lifetime has done but I respect the office they have held. I can’t imagine having every single move I made be critiqued, commented on, watched and shared worldwide. Regardless of who was, is, and is to come our President will always have my respect for the position he is in.
I am so thankful that my Savior knew the coronavirus was coming, He knows the outcome of every election and He knows what will happen to all of us every day. He holds the world in His hands, and THAT gives me a spirit of calm in the presence of anxiousness; peace in the presence of uncertainty; and protection in the presence of fear.
Anxiousness, Uncertainty and Fear seem to surround us everywhere we look, these days. As we just lived through another anniversary since the attacks of September 11 I miss the unity, peace and respect we as a nation had in those days following 9/11/01.
I wish people respected the police and first responders as much today as we did, then. It saddens me to hear about the many people who want to defund our police units. Sure, there are bad cops. Sure, there are cops who shouldn’t have their jobs. But there are also bad teachers. When a teacher fails to protect every single student when a school shooting takes place, do we run to close down and defund every school? No, of course not. We realize that while we cannot stop every act of senseless violence in every school, the vast majority of people appreciate how education and schools help people. When a doctor is unable to save the patient who has a serious illness or fails to make the right call regarding a surgery on someone who has been fatally shot, do we try and close every hospital? Again, that would be ridiculous. There are bad choices, wrong choices, bad people in every line of work in the world, but as a child of a police officer, it hits especially close to home when I read of disrespect to men and women who, for the most part, do a fantastic job at keeping us safe, often with no thanks from the people they protect and serve every day.
I wish we as a nation showed our appreciation for our military and veterans in the same ways we did in those days immediately following 9/11.
I wish people cared as much about putting an end to child trafficking, obesity, heart problems and fast food/unhealthy living as they do about who is wearing a mask…
It frightens me the amount of fear the media projects on us every day with news of murders, wildfires, protests, and still, after over two years in, Covid, along with all the violence across our country instead of focusing on any and everything GOOD happening in the world. There is still SO much good in the world but instead, most of what we see and hear on all platforms of news is the negative.
I wish the media discussed the people who are hugging and thankful our police officers instead of trying to defund them.
I wish the media showed us more pictures of all the people coming together in unity and love right now instead of constantly putting in our faces, all the hate and arguing.
Don’t allow yourself to be brainwashed into believing everyone hates those who don’t agree with their politics, religion, etc. There are plenty of us who are able to put differences aside and treat others the way we also want to be treated.
I am not going to tell you who to vote for, but I have heard Christians say they didn’t vote for Donald Trump because of his past. These same people say they voted for Biden, who stands for abortion right up until delivery. If I cannot trust the leader of our country to protect the lives of innocent, unborn children, how in the world can I trust them with MY life? And in response to Trump’s past – I sure am thankful God doesn’t have the same standard for me, and you, and our past comments, actions, ways of living. Don’t get me wrong, I often think to myself “These 2 people were the best each political party could come up with as Presidential candidates?” It baffles me. I don’t want to argue or get into heated political debates, but I am very strongly against abortion. Most people have their platform, or issue that is closest to their heart and, for me, that is it. I am not in ANY way excusing things former President Trump did in his past, but I am very thankful that we aren’t held by God to the same standards we so often hold everyone else up to.
I have so many thoughts that I could share, but this is a start and I don’t want to go on all day 😉 Let’s all be kind. Everyone is dealing with SOMETHING and a small act of love and kindness can go a long way to changing someone’s day. I love you all and I appreciate every one of you who took the time to read this to the end.
I want to leave you with this verse and encourage you, regardless of your political or religious stance to live your life fearlessly and courageously, which is the way I believe God intended… 2 Timothy 1:7 – For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.