It's hard to put words to the feelings I have around the current state of our world. At times it feels like a scary place to be and I wonder when the dark times will come to an end. But then I remember deep in my heart that there is no better place, that there still is so much good to be shared, experienced and seen.
We are all feeling the weight of the affairs in Ukraine differently. For some of us it hits home, it's a part of our history, it's repetition of what we hoped we'd never have to face again. I remember, as a little girl, my grandparents telling me the stories of how they fled the Holocaust and I can only imagine the worry other survivors must be experiencing at the prospect of having to face this battle again.
As painful as my heart aches, I'm learning I cannot lose myself in it. I look out the window each day with such gratitude to see the sun, and my neighbors walking their dogs. I am thankful that my biggest worry is whether or not I will check off all the items on my daily to-do list.
And it's in this gratitude that I know it is up to each and every one of us to continue to make our world a better place. We don't need to be heroes, we don't need to suit up in armor and fight the great fight on the front lines. It's in our every day interactions that we make the biggest impact.
It's in the smile and the hello that you offer to the person across the grocery aisle who is silently wondering whether their life matters.
It's holding the newborn and straightening up the house for the new mother who so desperately just needs a long hot shower and a nap to feel herself again.
It's holding our fellow humans tight and allowing them to grieve without shame.
The world may look dark and dreary, but it's up to us to be the best humans we know how to be in order to bring the light back into view.
Until next time, wishing you health, wealth, and happiness.
Marianna
