If You're Reading This, I'm Doing Alright

In the midst of all of the tragedy we have been witnessing, both here in the United States and abroad, it's time we start talking about something important: tolerating each other.

As a Christian, I am called to love myself, my God, my neighbor and my enemy alike. Not everyone in this world professes the same faith that I do, which means that you may not feel the need to "love" everyone. But as a human being, the least you can do is tolerate them.

I'm not talking about tolerating them in a passive way. Ignoring is not tolerating. I'm talking about understanding the things that make you different and nodding your head to the sound of their experiences because they are just as valid as yours. You don't have to agree on everything, but you should respect each other through the disagreements.

For example: I hate the color purple, but I'm not going to think you're an idiot because purple is your favorite color. I'm not going to spew out hate towards you if you don't like the taste of seafood. I'm not going to murder you because  you don't believe in the same God as I do.

Oops, too real?

What is it with our insatiable need to be right all the time? Not everything is as simple as 2+2. Sometimes life is complicated and life is messy because we all don't live the same life. We all don't experience the same things, and if we do, we don't feel the same way about those experiences.

We all have different strengths, feelings, skin colors, cultures, sexual orientations, shoes, etc. Isn't it about time that we see past the differences as something to be feared and embrace them as something that makes life worth living?

White person, can you imagine life without Mexican food or Chinese food? Brown person, can you imagine life without burgers or hot dogs? Food would suck if we all lived the same lives since the beginning of time.

The world itself is a testament to the beauty there is in our differences. The world would be boring if everywhere looked like Hawaii. It would be normal. It would be average. It would cease to be it's own.

Keeping each other down because we don't look like your version of paradise or don't act like your version of wonderful is not only idiotic, but it's making life unbearable.

Yelling at each other isn't going to solve anything. Killing each other isn't going to solve anything. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, remember?

By all means, if someone is wrong or is perpetuating injustice, tell them. Look them dead in the eye and tell them what they are doing is not okay. If they don't want to listen, get up and leave. Actions speak louder than words so go out there into the world and show them that the things they believe in make no sense. Prove to them that women can work just as hard, that people of color are just as smart, and that any other difference you may have does not make you less of a human being. Prove them wrong.

But aside from all the people who are perpetuating evil, embrace each other for all that we are. Love each other because they're not exactly the same as you. Learn from each other. Teach each others. Build each other up.

People are losing hope for the future, but I'm trying to hang in there. I'm trying to learn as much as I can from as many people as I can. If you're reading this, I'm doing alright. I'm getting by. This world is breaking my heart, but what's love without a little heart break? Hang in there.