I was scrolling through Instagram this morning and I came across a video of a small boy walking alone to the Polish border from Ukraine. The boy was alone, dirty, sobbing, carrying a bag of his toys. Obviously exhausted this boy had made a journey that no human being should make. He was one of the lucky ones. This is what we get day after day, almost minute by minute or possibly second to second. I saw this image last year but it was a dead toddler with her dead father floating in a river near the Mexican border. It was Palestinian children sitting amongst rubble. It was dead Syrian families lined up on a street covered in bloody sheets. It's the daily body count of shooting victims in my community. We all know the news. We all feel helpless. It’s almost like the world is devoid of love.
I've been a mental health provider in the medical field for almost 12 years now and I've always been able to disassociate from feelings and events impacting patients and I've been in some incredibly sad situations over the years. For the first time a few days ago I wasn't able to keep myself together. I was leading my weekly group and realized how much I appreciated everyone who comes and shares. A group of humans with shared human experiences showing support for one another. The love and compassion overwhelmed me. As most other humans I’m tired of all the hatred and a small dose of love and positivity goes a long way.
I was reminded... There is always room for love.
Love at times can seem like a fluff emotion. We associate it with romance and at times it's a source of discomfort. Many of us have a hard time expressing/feeling it for various reasons. We protect love in a way that we don't protect other emotions. At the end of the group some members sometimes shout out, "I love you guys," which I used to think was inappropriate. Now I let the love flow. We all need it because we’re inundated with hateful news all day long. Lately when I feel lost, especially after scrolling through social media, I look to memories I have collected over the years that I know are of service to me.
Many years ago I was sitting on a dirt floor next to a young woman dying a pretty painful death. Her hip bone protruding through her skin, pale, emaciated and almost unable to speak. She was alone in a small hut, poor. Many people in that village had lost family and friends not just from illness but from election violence that had spread throughout the country of Kenya. Police turned on their own community spraying gunfire into crowds. Not only had that community seen violence from their own government but from years of white oppression. There was always some hesitancy when my nurse and I showed up not being a part of the community. This woman, although suffering, would light up during our visits. She would grab my hand and we would talk while she got care. During most of our home visits that's what I would do sit, talk, hold hands, sing, never push. I would provide my time, knowledge, my humanity. Overtime my team and I built trust and became associated with safety. The whole community began seeking us out. It took time and compassion, but that’s what was needed.
That's what love can do, make small changes that turn into a large compilation of change. Yes, it's frustrating that governments won't step up but that just means we keep going. For me I try to remember that love is there all the time from people saving Syrian families from drowning, doctors saving lives in war zones, people donating money to on the ground resources, soldiers choosing life over dealing out death; little by little the world changes. As we speak there are people working at boarders taking those children walking alone and giving them food and a place to be safe. There are homes being rebuilt and families being reunited. People are doing the work everywhere. We keep moving forward knowing that LOVE IS POWER!
I know we are all exhausted, but our generation has a responsibility to keep going. To get up every day knowing that the world needs to be fixed and people need to be loved. Knowing that life is hard and it's very hard for billions of people. Knowing that this isn’t simple. It’s asking the question each day, what can I do? Love is small acts of kindness, its sacrifice, it’s not selfish, its time and attention and most of all it's brave. What love can you put out in the world? Start small and let it ripple out into the universe! There is always room for love.
Be well!
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