Maybe I’m a hopeless dreamer.
Maybe.
Maybe I’m a fool to think that the world could ever be at peace.
Maybe.
I know that getting along with other humans can be hard.
But . . .
22 years ago we were attacked.
22 years ago we were shaken loose from our complacency.
We hugged and cried and came together.
Temporarily . . .
As time went on we grew apart.
We lost our way.
There’s more space between us now than ever.
How do we fix that?
The good news is I can see glimpses of hope, kindness, and goodness.
I left my life as a cafe owner back in May. I’ve since been maintaining my income by driving for several different delivery services. The first time I did an early morning route in a more suburban part of New Jersey, I was completely taken aback by how many smiles and ‘good mornings’ I received from total strangers.
I admit to being a bit unnerved by it.
I admit to being uncomfortable.
I admit to being insecure.
But . . .
I grew to accept these brief moments of kindness.
I started to go out of my way to smile and say hello to strangers.
It felt good.
It feels good.
Maybe that’s what we need to finally heal.
Maybe.
Slowly but surely, we will heal.
I have to believe that.
So I will keep doing it.
You should try it.
Just make one person feel better each day.
And we will heal.
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
Onward
Upward
Forward
