I sent this out to my email list yesterday and decided to go ahead and make it a blog post. I feel it is such an important conversation to have and to keep open until we are healed. We have so very far to go.
Before you proceed, it’s going to be a heavy one…
**Trigger Warning** I am addressing the mass shooting that took place here in Buffalo just 10 days ago.
Here goes…
It’s been a big month in all ways. Some ways good, some ways bad. I’ve shared a LOT about the various celebrations and all of the good! (Hello fun cake toppers!) 🥰😊
This week is going to be a lot more somber, though. As we close out May, Mental Health Awareness Month, I wanted to share what has been on my heart lately.
I had planned on mentioning what this month was all about and just how important Mental Health Awareness is, but I never imagined doing it quite in this way…
My beautiful hometown of Buffalo has been hurting this past week. I’ve been hurting right along with it.
My heart broke as I read the news for the first time…on a beautiful, celebration-filled day 10 days ago now. I read the details of what had transpired that morning and the world suddenly came crashing down all over again…
…”It is only the 134th day of the year and 198 mass shootings have occurred already in our country…more than one per day…about ten per week.
The largest in recent times, happening here in Buffalo, NY. Ten dead, more wounded at the grocery store on this sunny weekend morning.”
My heart continued to sink as I kept reading and absorbed the news. We need to WAKE UP!
198 mass shootings, in 134 days…💔😔
My hometown is hurting, I thought.
Honestly? My hometown was completely broken at that moment. 😢💔
A glimmer of hope, though?
My hometown immediately began to come together once again as the City of Good Neighbors. 💪
Tragedy struck and this city started doing what it does best… it started healing together and it is loving on one another. Still, we are broken as we face this reality that SO many other communities have faced before us. Neighbor helping neighbor as these families heal and this community rebuilds.
You guys, our country is hurting. Our country is broken…just like my hometown has been these last 10 days.
“More than one per day…”
The words have echoed in my brain since this tragedy struck. More than…One. Per. Day.
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. This is something that I am so thankful is being talked about more and more each day in this country. It is something that needs to be taken seriously and I’m glad we are at least heading in that direction. The thing is, we have to keep moving forward with it and heal together as a country.
We need to stop hating one another for our differences. Read that again. We need to stop hating one another for our differences. But rather, embrace one another for the fellow human being that we see standing before us. (Exactly why Sonder resonates so deeply with me. Exactly why I want to build a community of love here. We need so much more of that in our world.)
Hate crimes in this country are so high.😢
This shooting in Buffalo was motivated purely by racism. It was thoroughly planned and methodically carried out by a white 18-year old boy who drove over 200 miles to gun down fellow human beings as though it was his right. As though it was his duty. 😢💔
Racism accounts for the majority of these crimes, with crimes against the LGBTQ+ community following. This. Is. Tragic. 💔
What are we teaching our youth? 😔
If we don’t talk about it openly, if we don’t acknowledge the crisis that is going on, how are we ever going to change!?
We need to come together and heal. We need to listen to those who aren’t like us, rather than debate them. We need to show l-o-v-e.
“I love you. You’re probably thinking, ‘You don’t even know me.’ But if people can hate for no reason, I can LOVE.”
What can you do this week to show love to someone from outside your community? It’s easy to love those who are like us. But, how will you love those who are different?
This is my challenge to you.
Let’s do better. Let’s support one another. Let’s. Spread. Love. ❣️💪❣️
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