It’s Valentine’s Day. In modern times, it is a manufactured celebration for sure, but its roots are steeped in personal sacrifice and service.
I hope you have someone to love, and who loves you back. Or, if not, that you can do something that you truly love to do, especially if it’s for another’s benefit.
Love seems in short supply these days. I read somewhere on Substack a pundit saying in essence: “don’t despair, this will all come back to bite (them….)” If only we had the time to wait for the unlocking of these hearts.
It is wishful thinking, at best, to be all Scarlett O’Hara about taking time to push back against what has occurred over the past few weeks in our nation’s capital.
The new administration wants to dismantle the social safety net that supports millions of Americans whose races, beliefs and circumstances do not align with theirs. This is not news and should not have surprised anyone. Sadly, they will succeed unless we start acting out and up. Many are of are … actively, affirmatively and compassionately.
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
- Martin Luther King Jr.
This week, hundreds of Habitat for Humanity homeowners, staff, partners and housing advocates took to Capitol Hill to tell our elected representatives that we will not be silent in the face of defunding essential housing and other social programs.
More of us need to act. Now.
Each of us can do something, big and small. Each of us must. We can:
Stop patronizing those businesses and organizations that are promoting or enabling policies that roll back civil liberties or harm other people.
Shop local; support your local economy.
Call your elected representatives at lease once per week to protest. Let them know you are watching, and that you vote.
Volunteer at an organization that provides social services or other assistance to people in need.
Better yet, volunteer and support them financially.
Attend rallies and protests.
Be kind. Don’t despair.
If we don’t, we will have only ourselves to blame for what happens.
It’s a choice. Choose to act. Choose to love.
“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
More of us have to heed your wise words and do whatever we can to help. Weather here as been bitterly, single-digit COLD. On the way to an appointment yesterday we passed by a small tarp shelter a homeless person had construced and I burst into tears.
People should NOT have to live that way.