People need other people.
It’s a simple fact of life, but in stressful times, it can’t
be a hard concept to grasp. I recently read a book called If You Feel Too Much by Jamie Tworkowski (the founder of the
organization To Write Love On Her Arms). The entire book is centered around
depending on other people and letting other people depend on you.
In light of recent events, I wanted to share a few quotes
from this book and expound upon them a bit. Hopefully they help.
“It is a choice to
love people. It is a choice to be kind. It is a choice to be patient, to be honest,
to live with grace. I would like to start making better choices.”
It is not always easy to be kind to people, especially if
they have wronged you in some way. But we have to remember that everyone is
fighting their own battles, and everyone is struggling in their own way. We
have to be patient and understanding with one another in order to receive
kindness in return.
“You will need other
people, and you will need to be that other person to someone else, a living
breathing screaming invitation to believe better things.”
Sometimes we feel so lost and hopeless and we need someone
to be there to hold us and pick up the pieces. But sometimes someone else needs
us to do the same for them. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and don’t be
afraid to be the light in someone else’s life.
“Our job is to love
people. When it hurts. When it’s awkward. When it’s uncool and embarrassing.
Our job is to stand together, to carry the burdens of one another, and to meet
one another in our questions.”
This quote feels especially important today of all days.
People are afraid of this man that now has so much power over our great nation.
People quite literally fear for their lives and want to run away. But we cannot
let our fears control us. We have to stand together as a country, accept that
this is the way it is now, and move forward. We have to unite in our
differences and make this country a safe place for all to live.
And finally, I want to end by combining a few quotes that
really hone in on the point I’m trying to make here.
“It’s easy to be a
critic, easy to tear things down, easy to be blind. It’s a braver thing to
build, to create, and to surprise. I know it feels important to spend a lot of
time alone right now, but don’t forget to lean on people too. If your heart is broken,
it’s okay to say your heart is broken. If you feel as if you feel too much,
well then you are not alone.”
