Do you ever tire of the hateful rhetoric that floods our culture like a tidal wave? I’ve taught my twins since they were little to be kind to each other and work together, yet every day we see adults attacking each other. How can I teach my children to treat others with kindness and respect when all they see is hate? Remember the days we could say, let’s agree to disagree? Now, differing views means I’m a hater or anti-this or that.
When did we become a nation forced to choose sides?
Call me old-fashioned, behind the times, not keeping up with progress, but here’s what I teach my children:
- To place their hand over their heart and recite the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem out of respect for our founding fathers who believed in freedom, and as a sign of respect to our military who give their lives to keep that freedom.
- To show kindness to everyone because every life matters.
- To be respectful to those in authority: police, teachers, military, and government.
It made me think back to the events of 9/11. Can you imagine a first responder pausing to ask which political party a person supported or what that person believed about certain controversial social issues? Of course not! They responded out of duty, compassion, and most importantly, sacrifice. Under duress, most of us respond with compassion and expect others to do the same. Some go above and beyond to sacrifice their own safety and well-being for others. Imagine a world where we lived like this every day!
Most of you know I love music and get much of my writing inspiration from song lyrics. The first time I heard Carrie Underwood’s new single, “Love Wins”, tears streamed down my cheeks. Whether you’re a country music fan or not, this song delivers a powerful message:
“But I hold on to hope and I won’t let go ‘cause I, I believe you and me are sisters and brothers. And I, I believe we’re made to be here for each other. And we’ll never fall if we walk hand in hand. Put a world that seems broken together again. Yeah I, I believe in the end, love wins.”
Maybe we can’t change the world, but by changing our own attitude and instilling the importance of kindness and compassion into the next generation, the world will change!
Songwriters: David Arthur Garcia / Brett James / Carrie Underwood. Love Wins lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group
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