With a Conscience - "The Price of Being...Nice"

 

         It was fairly ingrained into my head growing up, that the most important thing you could give anyone was kindess and empathy.  I remember rescuing a friend on the playground in first grade.  Another girl, a severe bully, threw her down on the playground and began grinding her beautiful hair into the concrete.  I jumped on her back and threw her off my friend.  To this day, I do not know how or why I mustered enough courage to do that but I did and at 60 years of age, I remember it like it was yesterday.

        My sister Jen, has told me that it will never be in my nature to be nasty or confrontational.  My other sister, Jojo tells me, "Find a way to use your voice."   When I am in front my kids at school, I tell them, "Find a way to be kind."  I tell them, "Life is way too short for hateful nonsense.  Remember you are human and so, so are the other kids you go to school with and face each day."  Why is kindness such an issue?  

      There are many days where I simply hate the human race for its insensitivity and its lack of awareness.  Why are so many people on such a short fuse?  Even before this horrid pandemic, which covers our faces and prevents the true, obvious vision of our feelings, we were on a trajectory of anger first, consequences later.  The consequences of hate and anger are too severe and long-lasting these days for us to fully recover from the pandemic.  We need to remember who we are.  We have the capability to love.  We have the capability to heal too.  Of late, my concern is how can we progress from what has been obviously painful? 

      80 years ago, our country was attacked at Pearl Harbor.  We entered World War II as a result and it is amazing that those who are still living and remember being there, are gentle, kind men who simply did what they needed to do.  They did what there were compelled to do.  When there are interviewed, there is no hate expressed.  Perhaps the lesson here, in healing, is in the bravery we must find.  Perhaps rather than fear, which creates hate, we need to find courage.  We need to face our fears and help others.

      I believe fear is the catalyst for most of the unrest we see socially.  The fear comes from not understanding that, "This too shall pass."  The fear escalates from not being heard.  We need to listen more.  We need to care more.  Those that do, find the ultimate reward.  They are no longer afraid.  They embrace.  They are willing to subsitute kindness for fear.  They see the logic in that simple realization.  I pray for more logic.