Hard stuff

It seems like the world is full of hard stuff lately. Natural disasters, intentional disasters, life disasters, sadness, loss... sometimes it feels like too much. As a mom it feels so heavy to send our kids out into a world where they are going to face adversity and hate. But I feel it a privilege and a duty to teach my kids that while hard things happen to everyone and while sometimes life can seem unfair, they have the power to do good and there is a whole slew of people around them that are on a mission to do good as well. 

A family that we knew in Ann Arbor is going through something terribly hard right now. Their 18 year old daughter fell 50 feet from a cliff while hiking with her brother. She suffered severe trauma and is in a coma. Her prognosis is unknown at this point, and the family is relying on their faith and miracle to see their daughter's eyes open again. Such a freak accident, and no one is immune from that type of tragedy. I can't imagine the pain of having a healthy child one minute and then see that same child struggling to survive the next. My heart goes out to those grieving parents and her siblings who so desperately want their sister back. In support of that family, we've been posting pics of our family in Michigan gear #conqueringheroesforAbby. It's amazing to see people from around the country uniting in support for her recovery. 

And then there's the scary stuff that makes headlines every day. It's hard to feel safe anywhere any more. I love this quote by MLK Jr:

We can't raise the next generation to accept hatred, racism, and disrespect as a way of life. But if it's what they are seeing, it's what they will repeat. We can break the cycle. We can role model how we deal with differences in a civil way. We can show them how to love and be kind, even if we are hurting. We have no other option if we want our nation to not become divided against itself. Love and kindness are powerful gestures that can solve problems, smooth over differences, unite us, and heal our broken hearts. We know that there will be adversity in this life, but it's how we deal with it. Blaming and continuing to hurt the "other side" will NEVER bring about peace. It will only perpetuate the cycle. We've come so far... I just don't want us to go back.