In a World of Darkness, be a Beacon of Light and Hope

Hey, you got a sec?
Sit down. Take a breath. Let’s chat.

Lately, I’ve noticed a common thread in the things people are sharing:
The world needs more kindness.

Maybe it’s a universal nudge.
Maybe it’s just the algorithm.
Or maybe… we’re finally starting to realize just how much we’re missing it.

Either way, I feel that sentiment too, deeply.

Kindness isn’t passive.
It’s not weak.
And it sure as hell ain’t about letting people off the hook.
Kindness is a skill… one we’ve got to keep sharpening.

There’s a reason “kill ’em with kindness” is more than just a saying in the South.
It’s a practice.

And in a world that’s loud with outrage, what if the boldest thing we could do right now… is be kind?

What if we all did one kind thing for our community this week?
Now, I’m not saying we have to sit around a campfire singing “Kumbaya.”
But if you’ve been feeling like the spark’s gone out, maybe you’ve been chosen to reignite it.

Find your thing and spread that light.
Plant a tree.
Check on your neighbors.
Leave a kind note.
Volunteer.
Smile at someone who looks like they need it.

It doesn’t have to be grand.
It just has to be kind.

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The other day, I watched a Jubilee video of a young white man gleefully calling himself a fascist, laughing about it. Giddy.

It made me set my phone down.
I had reached the peak of my internet time for the day.
That wasn’t just ignorance.
It wasn’t just politics.
It was delight in cruelty.
He was ecstatic to wear that title, like a badge of honor.
It was truly disturbing.
And I wish I was being dramatic.

Now, I can’t wrap my head around that guy’s thought process and I’m not going to try to…
Hurt people hurt people, and sometimes there’s nothing we can do to change that M.O.
But what I can reasonably say is I know that’s not every Republican’s worldview.

Media (social or otherwise) is really good at highlighting the loudest voices who have no business near a microphone.
They will spin it so the rest of us, aka the adults in the room, feel like the world is on fire. I know that’s true no matter which party you support too.

But yall, that’s not reality.
It’s exhausting being the adult in the room, I know.
Any parent or caregiver will tell you that.

But listen, friend…

We are the good the world needs right now.
And if you’re not seeing any good around you?

You get to be it.