I'm So, So, Sad

I'm sad.  I'm sad about how things are going in this nation.  I'm not talking about left or right.  I'm not talking about religion.  I'm not talking about race, gender, thick or thin, haves or have nots.  I'm talking about how we are treating each other.  Where has all of this hate come from?

At first I was right in the middle of it all.  How dare they do this, how dare they think this, how dare they.......   Then I started to look at how I was treating LOVED ones.  I was being hateful, and they were being hateful right back.  I didn't like this feeling! This isn't how we are!  What happened to all of the fun and laughter?

Then I started to observe other people.  People in the grocery store, people in the restaurant, people driving in the lane next to you.  We are all angry.  Angry about being offended.  This one is offended because of something someone didn't do, this one is offended because of something someone did, and this one is offended because no one offended them.  It's a big circle.  Where does it stop?  It stops with love.

We need to start loving mankind again.  Stop being offended about everything. Yes, we have that option to not be offended by things. If someone offends you, you are the one who decides on how you will react to being offended. When we start to love again, we will realize that the things we were offended by seem to disappear.  You start to realize that not everyone is out to get you.

We can still have disagreements.  With a nation of such diversity, not everyone can agree on everything.  That's okay.  Hate, on the other hand, is not okay.  When we bring hate into the equation, nothing can ever become better or be resolved.  And I understand some of you still believe that you "love your neighbor."  But do you really?  And if you do, how do you show it?  Could your "love" be mistaken as hate?  Think about that the next time you "love" that person who cut you off in traffic.

I'm writing this late at night because I'm just so sad and I can't go to sleep.  I know this may sound weird, but remember after the 9/11 attacks?  Remember how hard it was to find an American flag?  Everyone wanted one.  We were proud of our nation!  We looked at people differently.  We were nicer to our fellow Americans.  It didn't make a difference what color you were, or how much money you made. We held doors open for people. We smiled as we passed by.  We were all Americans. We were in this together.  Well, we are still in this together.  But, if we keep this hate in our hearts, we won't be together.  We will be divided and then we will fall.

I say we bring back the love.  I'm not talking about agreeing with everybody.  I'm talking about loving everybody.  Even the people that you absolutely do not agree with.  Those are the ones that need it from you the most.  Or maybe, YOU are the one that needs to love because you have hated for so long.  Just like in The Grinch That Stole Christmas, maybe our hearts are so tiny because we haven't used them to love for so long.  Maybe you need to start small and work up to something bigger.  Just like lifting weights, don't over do it at first.  But really, can you over love?

I'm sorry if this post sounds all "hippy" and all.  I don't think of myself that way.  I actually think of myself as someone that use to hate everything.  I'm still not perfect, just ask anyone that knows me.  No never mind, don't do that. hehehe.  I just found out how easy it is to get pulled down into the "hate abyss."  It's hard to get back out, but it can be done.  And once you do get out, you will realize that the world is a wonderful place.

So until next time,

Small Farm Girl.  ex-hater