Happy Tuesday #Go52ers! We've made our way through a week of American "Rah, Rah, Kumbaya," and now we face that time of year where the tides normally turn. The part where we return to our regularly scheduled routines and our American neighbor becomes a stranger yet again. With such a disjointed world and distractions all around, this - today - right now, is the time to reconsider how we see our neighbors; by neighbors, I mean each other. For behind our own perceptions rests a human being with a desire to be seen simply as such; an equal, not less than, not inferior to because of a happenstance set of dna markup.
I was raised in a home where a hand carved and hand painted sign hung high on the wall, proudly reminding us to, "Love One Another". Nothing more. Nothing less. It taught us to be loving children who grew into loving adults. That is the Week 28 theme:
To be loving towards someone doesn't mean I agree with everything they think, feel, believe, or do. It means I see them as a person, despite the layers of superficial identity. Know the cool thing about treating everyone as the human being that they are? Doing so does not diminish your own existence. My husband designed a t-shirt last week that captures the essence of this thought.
In fact, one of the things that I appreciate most about him is his ability to consistently demonstrate his genuine care and appreciation for others, regardless of which box they happen to check (liberal, conservative, independent, brown, tan, cream, same, other, etc.). He is an awesome, loving soul.
What does it mean to be loving? How do you demonstrate your care for others? What are you willing to do to show someone else that you see their human nature?
Illustrate it. Share it. Tag it. #Go52.