Worthwhile responses to tragedy

I don’t care what your politics are.

I care about you,

your children,

our community,

and our world.

I don’t care if you think guns should be banned

Or whether there should be armed guards in schools.

I care about your mental health

And your spirit

And whether you’re ok

Are you ok?

I don’t care to discuss

The handful of things that divide us

I want to talk the millions that unite us

And what we all love and need

I want to talk about Macklemore

And Wednesday Mornings

Because it’s the only thing that makes sense to me

In response to hate

He said, “I will love more.”

In response to loss

He said, “I will give more.”

Personal responsibility, to me:

I will focus less on what needs to change

In the world

And more on what needs to change in me

Have I failed to invest in a child?

Have I predisposed others to harm

through oversight or ambivalence?

Have I not recognized

my brothers and sisters in need?

So, I pledge

If you see me looking down

on others

It will only be to lift them up.

Is it a cliché for me to send my love and prayers?

I will send them anyway

Is it corny for me to say that only love can restore us?

I will say so anyway.

More importantly,

I will live my life accordingly