Where Humanity Thrives

How many times have you heard, “What a crazy world we live in.” in the last week? The last month? Or the last four months?

I’ve said it myself. Quite often, actually.

The truth is, we have always lived in a crazy world. That’s what makes it so unique. We live in a world full of color, trees that grow as tall as they want, where streams become rivers become lakes become oceans.

Our world is filled with all sorts of people. Differences in skin color, hair color, eye color, personalities, fashions. Hundreds of nationalities, identities, all on one rock, perfectly positioned from the sun to allow life, to produce oxygen for all of us, plants and animals, to share.

How crazy is it that we have oxygen, right?

As a citizen of the United States, I know how blessed I am to be a part of this country. I know what liberties I have, and I am very grateful for my fortunate life.

While recognizing this, I know that I have more liberties than some of my other Americans. This may be the part where you argue we live in a crazy world.

And yes, we do. It is crazy to think that the color of one’s skin might be the cause of someone using violence against them, that it might be used as a tool to feel superior. This is a crazy idea…

But this idea has been around for centuries, and though some may ignore it, it has not gone away. There are still remnants of a time that we, as white people, cannot even fathom. There are freedoms we take for granted every single day, and I think it is time to step back and be humbled.

“Freedom is the atmosphere in which humanity thrives. Breathe it in.” – Richelle E. Goodrich

Yes, we live in a crazy world. Right now, we are up against a pandemic, the masks weighing us down, six feet away from our loved ones. We see protests, and some of our communities do not understand why. We are wondering what our world looks like one week from now, one month, four months.

Our crazy world is changing, but I do not want to shy away from it. I want to embrace it. I want to create a brighter, kinder world, a world in which I can feel a sense of community and belonging within the human race. A world in which I feel comfortable raising children. A world in which I know they would be in good hands when I’m gone.

We celebrated the U.S.’s birthday yesterday, and this is something of a controversy, too. We have horrors in our world, and it can be difficult to celebrate something that makes us want to cry or scream–because honestly, those have been my two moods for the last few weeks as I open Facebook or turn on the news.

But we have freedoms that we celebrate every year, and we should use these freedoms to expand them, share them with others, and help each other out.

We have the freedom to make a difference in our world. Because I see freedom, but I don’t see humanity thriving. I see the potential, but I don’t see success.

Because we live in a beautiful, crazy world full of wonderful, crazy people. Everything about our world is unique and lively–so why should humans be any different?

We are unique in all the best ways, and we should be creating a world in which it is safe to be different.

To create a brighter, kinder future.

So, as you celebrate your freedoms, remember that they are not only yours, but your entire community’s, too, and I think humanity should be thriving.

“May we think of freedom not as the right to do what we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.” – Peter Marshall