Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

Decisions, decisions…

 

So much noise right now.

Chest-thumping narcissists, pandering politicians spewing hate so loudly you can see the spittle fly from their mouths.

“Lock her up!”

“Feed my ego. Give me power and watch what happens.”

It’s hard to escape the fear and rage that surrounds us.

Which is, perhaps, why THIS STORY hit me so hard.

This is the story that should have captured each of us this weekend.

This is the person we should be focused on.

We will be battered every day now by taunts and negativity until this election is over, but I think we all know the final decision won’t stop the cynicism and screaming, no matter who wins.

It seems to be who we are now, as a nation.

But we decide who we are, as individuals.

We decide how we treat others.

We decide whose story we share.

How strange it feels to see what happens when our decision leads to love and compassion and kindness.

How healing it feels to think more about others than ourselves.

She is worried about how her mother will cope after her death.

She is sensitive to the pain her decision will create.

I hope you won’t ignore her story because it feels maudlin or sad. You don’t like “downers” and it’s easier to shut this out than bring it up.

This will be messy and emotional and even shaming, to a degree, because of our self-absorption, our relentless pursuit of distraction through things we can buy and celebrities we can judge.

But I would argue this is your job.

Decide to do it. Decide to take the risk.

Decide to try to inspire.

Decide to feel the pain and loss real decisions create, to feel it deeply, personally, and come through it a little wiser, a little stronger, a little more humble, and a little less like the voices ranting all around us.