I don’t normally stray from personal or parenting antics on the good-old  blog, but today I don’t feel normal. My heart hurts. And when my heart hurts, I often come here, so here I am, offering what I can in this moment so I can find some clear space in my head to see where and how I can help in the next.

You guys. I don’t have to tell you that there is a problem. Even if you don’t watch the news (I don’t; since bringing babies into this world, I often take an ostrich approach to the news because it terrifies me for their sake more than my own), you know what’s been happening in this world, but more so in this country in the last twelve months. It’s gut wrenching. And even though I can’t even begin to figure out what a SAHM/writing/yoga teacher in NE can do about it, I’m determined to start asking, “How can I help?”

I learned this question from a dear friend. She’s a gem of a person and I am lucky to call her my friend. Even with misunderstandings and completely different opinions on some finer points of life, we have come to know, respect, value, and love each other’s friendship in recent years. One of her biggest strengths, in my eyes, is her big heart and a willingness to ACT. It doesn’t matter if I text her that a kid is sick, that I’m out of cocoa powder, or that our family has hit a major roadblock; she always comes back at me with “How can I help?” and for that I am grateful.

Personally, I am grateful because I have a friend who cares so much.

For the sake of the bigger picture, I am grateful because I know that if people like her continue to exist in this world, we do stand a chance of overcoming the heaviness that holds onto us right now.

Guns. Violence. Race. Refugees. There are so many points on which we can argue, but what if we stop all verbosity and simply ask, “How can I help?” instead.

Debating, discussing, praying – they have their place. But we can talk ourselves blue all we want and none of it is going to change the fact that we need to change. We need to let our actions speak louder than our words. And just think of how amazing it would be if our acts came after an offer of help instead of a complaint or an accusation. Let our actions reflect the love we have in our hearts. And if your heart is hurting and scared, let your actions help you begin to heal.

Call me a hippy dippy naive crazy person, but I stand firm in my belief that if we heal the hurt in our hearts, we can help others do the same and that love can spread. But if we let the fear and the hate stay, then that will be our view. Our world view.

Believe

there is

good in the world.

Do it in your own way. The way that makes sense and is available to you – food drives, peaceful rallies, donating clothing/time/treasure, giving your smile or listening ears – but DO it. Don’t just say it, think it, pray it, or write it. Go all 90’s Nike ad campaign and JUST DO IT. Please.

As for me and mine? I don’t know what our IT is yet. But we’re going to find something and we’re going to do it. And then we’re going to keep adding acts of service and kindness into our life so to better impact the lives of others.

The only way we begin to heal is to first offer help.