Most days my job is to bring beauty and inspiration to this world – at least that’s how I’d like to see it. But there are days when that just doesn’t seem enough. Or appropriate. When there is so much pain and confusion that words can barely be formed, but it’s also harder to stay silent than it is to speak up.
On Wednesday, I already had a post lined up for the day, so up went the post. On Thursday, I struggled to write, my heart heavy with the news of the seemingly unwarranted shootings of two black men by white police officers within 24 hours. Today? Police officers in Dallas targeted – and many more around the country – out of what we can only assume is anger and frustration over the lives taken. The violence of this week (hell, this month, this year, this new standard of violence in America) has me struggling for the right words, so I’ll repeat what I posted earlier today on my instagram…
There is a time for pretty pictures and a time to speak up about the very real things that are happening in our country. I won’t be posting our usual weekend links today. Instead, I’ll be leaving this right here as a reminder to do good and spread love. To have conversations about hard things in productive ways. To come together so that we can do better and BE better for each other. I’m struggling with it all myself, and I don’t have the answers, but I know that not talking about it might be the worst thing we can do.
My gut tells me that dialogue is the most important next step in this confusing time. Dialogue and humility. Just like I always tell the men in my life, “You’ll never understand what it’s like to be a woman” when it comes to inequalities, body image issues, and so many more things, I as a white person will never understand what it’s like to be black in America. Or gay. Or Muslim. Or any other group that is targeted for simply being who they are. But I want to understand the best I can how to help stand up to injustices, to fight for their rights alongside them, and to speak up when it’s the time. And now is the time. Out of humility, I am telling you, I don’t know what to do. Out of humility I am asking you how you think we can all be better for each other. And out of humility I’m asking forgiveness if I falter or fail along the way.
This is a lifestyle blog, and yeah, we don’t really talk about these things here, but at some point, we have to admit that some days are just too hard and too real for pretty pictures. Go hug your people. Or a stranger. This world is hurting too much right now, and we all need more love.
