Watching world events right now leaves me speechless and makes my heart hurt. Part of me wanted to turn it all off, stay offline, and hide which is so cowardly.
Struggling with what to write to you, not knowing what to say, and not wanting to be more noise online realizing the world doesn’t need commentary from another privileged white cis-gender woman.
I grew up going to church and in Sunday school believing in the words we sang with the lyrics:
“Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red, brown, yellow
Black and white
They are precious in his sight”
Maybe you don’t believe in a higher power but you do believe all people are precious.
I grew up in Australia believing it was a melting pot of diversity so that makes me feel even less qualified to provide commentary.
But I believe in this country, that’s one of the reasons I became an American citizen.
My skin color, sexual preference, or religious beliefs have never been a reason for me to be followed in a store, seen as a threat, pulled over in my car, or treated differently in public. If this does happen to you, I am so deeply sorry.
While I can’t know how you feel, please know I stand beside you and hold your hand.
We can’t organize history but we can design our future.
When we all believe deeply in making a change, regardless of how uncomfortable it seems, we can design our future by:
- understanding our fears
- challenging our internal beliefs
- educating ourselves on how to effectively help
- teaching kids everyone is precious
- donating to causes that advance conversations
- calling leaders and holding them accountable
- voting for what we believe is right
- leveraging platforms to showcase the success of others
- consciously supporting people of all colors and beliefs
I also realize those of you who are part of this community are spread across the globe with different religious, political, and educational backgrounds and you might be watching the news of what is happening in the US with horror, so are those of us living here.
If you’d like more ways to help there are hundreds of suggestions being made on social media and two I find helpful include:
Support the Equal Justice Initiative
Southern Poverty Law Center
We possibly all know someone affected by this inequality and racism.
Even though I don’t feel educated enough to participate in conversations; I am committed to learning more, listening more deeply, helping move the conversation, and making a difference with the small platforms we all have.
This 3-minute video from Tunde (a Peloton instructor on Insta) is very powerful and worth a few minutes of your attention.
One of my dear friends Orlando Bowen was a pro footballer. He is a husband and father and his career was destroyed when he was severely beaten by two corrupt police. He was charged and later acquitted. He was the subject of police doing harm.
Let’s be clear, not all police are corrupt or harmful, I have many friends and partners of friends who have chosen to serve in this career – they are diligently working to keep us all safe and take care of their families too.
Orlando’s forgiveness and grace extended in this letter are worth the read.
My only ask of you today is that you extend kindness to any and all of the people who cross your path. We may not all share the same religious or political beliefs, we may not all have the same standards in our lives but we do all share the same value: the value of human lives.
Every life matters, we need to pay attention to how we show up in the world and be more kind and inclusive at every opportunity, especially now, especially today.
Sending Aussie cuddles to you,
