Last year I wrote of the hope I felt in the morning smiles of strangers as I delivered packages for various services throughout suburban NJ.
It got me thinking about how to incorporate that into my everyday life, beyond the few hours I spent in one town or another. That made me think of The Golden Rule:
Do Unto Others As You Would Have Done To You
Simple, right?
Well . . . not always, I know.
But it shouldn’t be simple. It shouldn’t be magic because magic is not what we need right now. We need something more real, more tangible than that.
Yes, last year I wrote that maybe healing our divide could be as simple as a friendly smile. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt that it wasn’t enough. Now don’t get me wrong, a smile is a great start but we need to challenge ourselves to take it even further if we’re ever going to start healing.
Here’s my challenge:
For a moment let’s forget about religions, politics and philosophies.
For a moment let’s simply be kind, do good and get better.
I’m not saying anyone should abandon their beliefs. What I’m saying is we need to stop letting those beliefs define us so precisely.
Sadly humans always seem to forget what is at the core of their beliefs and resort to using them to confirm prejudices, drive wedges and do harm.
Let’s pledge to stop that.
I’m also not saying anyone needs to do excessively grand acts of charity. Those are nice if you have the ways and means but if not then just keep it simple.
Hold the door for someone.
Buy a stranger a coffee.
Help someone carry a package.
And yes . . . smile :0)
Can it help? Will it make a difference?
I think it can.
Of course only time will tell but it’s worth a try.
And with the memory of the friends lost on that day, I will try.
Join me, won’t you?
Follow me on Instagram. I’ll be posting various suggestions soon to get the ball rolling and if you have any thoughts you can let me know.
Onward
Upward
Forward
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
– Bruce Springsteen “Into the Fire”
And remember . . .
Imagine Peace
