Freedom

A day after I wrote a post about kindness, there is another school shooting at a high school in Colorado and a presumed political assassination at a Utah college of a conservative leader in youth activism. 

As if being bogged down with the magnitude of responsibility I have had to take on and the strong emotions I have over it (another post in itself), I am growingly disgusted with this country and the constant turn of events that continually anger and sadden me. I am sick of being tired, concerned, and  angry over the conduct and actions of the United States. We are broken, and, even scarier, we lack the necessary leadership, concern, and dedication to fix it.

As long as I can remember I have been taught about this country's super power we call freedom. Freedom of speech, religion, the press, and the right to assemble and petition the government in particular. Well, how's that going for you, America?? 

Let's test these freedoms against the cold hard facts of the society we live in right now:

Do you feel like you are allowed to express your ideas and opinions without fear of censorship or punishment? (Charlie Kirk assassination) 

Do you feel comfortable practicing your religion freely? (Children killed at a catholic school mass in Minnesota)

How about freedom of the press? Do your credentials protect your right to cover stories freely? (The Los Angeles Police Department firing projectiles at journalists covering immigration protests)

And last but not least, "the right to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Just be aware that the backlash of exercising this right, is to be possibly arrested if you are a student protester and have your own president defund colleges supporting protests, for example. Then, taking it one step further, how about just and fair legal representation for these arrests? You know when the American Bar Association has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government asserting that "the Trump Administration was intimidating lawyers and law firms who took on clients the president disliked" is not a great start to getting good legal representation for those with disfavored views.

If someone googles the year 2025 in the future, their search is going to be consumed with the Diddy trial, the Epstein files, gun violence, Ice Agents, the National Guard, tariffs, .... I think you get the point.

What you won't find is the word Freedom.

Blame the democrats, the republicans, the liberals, the conservatives, the guns, mental health, religion, sexuality and all the other ways outrage has been expressed and labeled as the reasons we got ourselves into this mess. Here is the main shock that might throw all of the mud slingers right over the edge....despite what your feelings are, all of these people you are blaming have one common factor....They are all AMERICANS and that title comes with the power of them and their beliefs being protected by the Constitution. Your words only perpetuate the problem and actually fuel the fire for more violence. 

When you take away freedom, you take away the heart of America. We should not be categorized as anything but Americans and there is nothing beneficial when we decide to alienate and not support certain Americans by labeling, dismissing, condemning or attacking them for not fitting into what we think is right for this country. We should all be so angry that Americans are attacking other Americans. Until we realize that is the real issue, we will never even begin to find freedom again. 

Be Kind

“The kinder and the more thoughtful a person is, the more kindness he can find in other people. Kindness enriches our life; with kindness mysterious things become clear, difficult things become easy, and dull things become cheerful.” Leo Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) was a Russian novelist that lived a privileged life, and, yet, felt an emptiness and a loss of faith about humanity and its unfairness towards its social classes. In a yearning to understand its complexities, he found quite the opposite, its simplicity. No matter how hard the peasant farmers worked,  he observed an unwavering strength to fulfill their existences no matter their circumstances. They accepted death because of their profound faith, and they had a sense of freedom he lacked because of the anxieties they escaped by having little to lose. 

Tolstoy further realized that you can't just see society as a whole as it has to be made up of individuals first. Each person has their own vital part to contribute, comparing it to how the human body is made up of trillions of cells. 

Through observing the common bond the peasants had and how it guided the way they treated each other, he realized kindness was the basis of their simple foundation and it guided them to their own form of hope and happiness that he had never seen before among his wealthy and unkind counterparts. 

Fast forward to now, we know through extensive research that kindness is not only beneficial but has the ability to transform the mind, body, and even our relationships when practiced and applied. Seen as an antidote to anxiety and stress, it boosts our mental and physical health by combating feelings of loneliness, reducing cortisol levels, lowering blood pressure, and fostering greater empathy and compassion.

Beyond ourselves, it has the potential to create positive interactions and connections in society too which grows stronger communities by deepening our relationships and encouraging others to do the same. 

Each act of kindness, whether it's donating to charity, volunteering, participating in community events, or even just opening a door for a stranger or giving a compliment, makes a real and significant difference.

As a parent who focused on kindness and who has seen and felt firsthand the many ways it has nurtured our family's lives and relationships, I say let's not just raise nice kids but kind kids. If you lay the foundation, set the example, and provide encouragement and opportunities, you will witness and benefit from the results. When started and practiced early, it is more likely to adhere and continue into adulthood. 

Can you imagine how profoundly different our world would be right now if all of us had kindness prioritized as a principal component in raising children?