Last Monday, I walked into our kids' schoolroom to see my husband writing on the whiteboard. I waited until he finished and read:
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." -Martin Luther King Jr.
On a day dedicated to honoring Martin Luther King, we talked about the quote and what it meant. I suggested that perhaps this quote could inspire us to find ways to be the light and the love in the world. But I didn't elaborate.
It's been eleven days since we had that conversation and in my roles as parent, leader, friend, and partner, I've been wondering how to do this. How can I show and teach my kids what this means? When lots of things are out of your control, this can feel hard, daunting and overwhelming.
And then I encountered a bunch of little things over the past week that have given me hope:
A friend shared some of her paintings with me and gave me permission to use them in this newsletter. (See above!!)
My son offered to do the dishes without me asking.
Another friend made me a pair of her special running mittens.
I was the recipient of a deep meaningful hug.
I talked with a friend about an idea for community engagement, and she helped me brainstorm possibilities.
Fifteen strangers from around the world became an instant support system when I attended my first session of my year-long writing course.
The answer I've come to is within each of us.
Every day we face hundreds of decisions. We decide how we look at someone - whether we smile or ignore them. We decide our tone as we answer the phone, respond to a text or correct our children. We decide whether we give someone a hug, a handshake or turn our back. We decide if we reach out when we think of someone or let the thought pass us by. We decide if we lean into discomfort or run for the hills. These are simple choices, intimate decisions, and I am realizing that these small things matter a whole lot.
We get to exude light and love in these interstitial spaces of our lives - these small crossroads and seemingly inconsequential gestures. We resist darkness through the daily actions that connect us to one another.
I am going to remember that if someone makes me smile, I can share that joy. I get to embrace hug-energy and pass it along. I can go out of my way to listen to a friend. Little actions. Every day.
I owe it to my kids to revisit our conversation and ask them how they think they can be the light and the love in their lives. And as their mom, if they ask me what I think, I'll share what I've learned this week - that each of us gets to choose how we can be tiny sparks of light and warm glows of love. I'll tell them that if we all embrace these micro-moments, we can overwhelm the darkness and hate in the world.
That was just what I needed to begin my day! Thank you!!!
Great message, thank you!