We have forgotten.
As a society, we have forgotten that we belong to each other
We have forgotten that our freedom is not to be valued above that of any other regardless of factors such as race, religion, or gender. We have forgotten that this country was built on the premise that EVERYONE has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness- not just some.
We have forgotten the suffering of those we do not know or do not relate to because surely it cannot be as important as our own
Forgotten is the fact that this thing we call life is fragile, and there are no guarantees
We have forgotten just how precarious our stability is in this world and that one bad illness, one devastating injury, or one unexpected layoff caused by economic forces outside of our control can leave us susceptible to financial hardship and tragic choices. We have forgotten -purposely perhaps- just how easy it can be to fall into homelessness and how hard it is to try to explain to one’s children why they must miss a meal or sleep in a car
We find comfort in labeling the poor as “others” suffering a deserved fate as a result of bad choices and we have forgotten that we ALL have made choices we have regretted at one point or another in our lives
We have forgotten that violence is not the answer
We have forgotten that we do not all come into this world starting from the same place.
We have forgotten that things like mental illness and other chronic and painful medical conditions CHOOSE their victims. We have forgotten that if we are fortunate enough to be free from these diseases it is most likely a matter of pure luck
We have forgotten that we have a voice and we have forgotten how to use it
We have forgotten that we have choices and in some instances we have forgotten that we are responsible for the choices we make
We fail to remember that we are only as strong as our weakest link
Forgotten is the value in divergent opinions, the great innovations that have occurred as a result of those who were willing to go against the grain
We have forgotten that it is ok to disagree, and that disagreeing need not equate to disliking or disrespecting others
Long forgotten is the power inherent in being authentic and vulnerable.
Alternately, some have forgotten that being authentic does not grant you carte blanche to be discriminatory, cruel, or an asshole
We have forgotten the necessity of making it safe for others to take off their masks.
We have forgotten the importance of uncompromising self honesty and unapologetic self love and acceptance. We have forgotten that someone else’s attempt to pursue these things does not pose a threat to the rest of us
We have forgotten the lessons that our ancestors taught us, the things that they sacrificed in the hopes that we wouldn’t have to suffer through the pain that they did
We have forgotten that we are powerful. We have forgotten that those we have elected to positions of power are there to serve all of us, not the other way around
We have forgotten that we are all in this together and that what impacts one in some way, shape, or form impacts us all
We have forgotten how to take care of each other and that in this, lies our salvation
We have forgotten that we are limitless
We have forgotten that we are both nothing and everything, all at the same time
We have forgotten that love is the most powerful force in the universe and that fear lies.
We have forgotten.
And yet amongst all of the pain that exists in this world because of all that we have forgotten, there is still beauty.
Art that opens doors within us, forcing us to see the world through a new lens
Stories that connect us, inspire us, assuage our grief
Music that connects with us on a primal level, soothing our souls and stimulating our minds
Brave people who stand up and are a voice for those who cannot speak or aren’t readily heard
Revolutionary acts, both grandiose and small…
Grassroots movements, community members united to fight to make this world a better place
The kind words and compassion shown to those in pain, even if those in pain are strangers
The woman who pays for the person in line in front of or behind her. The father who, without a word, packs an extra lunch for the neighbor’s child because he knows that the family has fallen on hard times
Despite all that has been forgotten, I have not lost hope.
Because some of us…some of us still remember.