Mom. Wife. Military Life.

I’m sitting here in the most opposite side of the world watching tragic news pour in from the States today.

Shootings.

A school in Colorado and Charlie Kirk.

What is going on? Why? Who? Everyone wants answers.

The easy answer is to point fingers, which, unfortunately, I am seeing the most of. I was going to type out some of the things I am seeing and reading, but to be completely honest, I don’t want to give either side of the rehtoric that kind of platform to spew extreme idiologys.

Let me tell you a truth that I haven’t heard once today. To take a human life, you first have to value one. With that being said, do not take this moment to walk down a politically charged sidewalk and say that means one thing or the next. It simply means, if you value human life, you don’t have the will to take one.

Not in a school, not in a Walmart, not at a concert, not on a bus, not while out on a run, not while debating, not while simply living life.

Never.

Perhaps it isn’t a missing piece, but rather several.

That as humans, we take a moment to stop, not just slow down, and really think about what is the driving force for us each day? Who and what is motivating and leading your heart?

Every single human being’s answer is going to be different. As it SHOULD be different. If your voice sounds like that of your neighbors, are you echoing sentiments because it’s the easy path, or have you taken the time to critically think about the world around you?

We take the time to sit on social media platforms and lead the charge of being keyboard warriors, but won’t turn around and face the truth that ZERO thought or actions are being taken other than sitting around and self-educating with information that we cherry-pick to feed our own personal narratives.

How is that right?!

Truth is not always found on the front pages of CNN and Fox News. Truth isn’t found in a Google search on why someone or something is better than another. Truth isn’t always fun to hear, which is why many people choose to not go searching for it.

I encourage you to stop. Stop pointing fingers and start having conversations. With your children with your neighbors, with your co-workers, with strangers. But now i’m going to ask you to do something even more important. Perhaps the MOST important…

Listen.

You do not know who someone is because of the tiny slivers of life they choose to share. People are made into who they are in the hard moments. The moments that they prevail. You are not better than any person around you, and when you stop to listen and learn, you realize that through the profound differences society has told you would make you hate someone, you realize that actually, it is much easier to love. Empathize. Appreciate. Value. Sometimes you will have a conversation and it’s not going to feel good, and someone isn’t your person, but you learn how to navigate those hard conversations to grow and always remember… hurt people, hurt people.

But, value is created. There is a human life behind that story, and their story (like it or not) is theirs to tell and yours to learn from.

So perhaps we save a life by being a ladder, a lifeboat, or a lamp to someone. We practice compassion for our enemies. People will watch hate be overcome by love, and our children will learn how to process and respect someone different than ourselves.

Politically, there is SO. MUCH. that needs to be done. But that conversation does not belong here now.

For now, we start healing people from the roots, and perhaps that flows into the stems and leaves of life.

Look to God.

Hug your families extra tight tonight.

-Kinzy