Two years ago I wrote these words in my journal:

There is still beauty in the world – if I look for it.
There is still magic – if I am open to it.
There is still calm – if I create it.

At the time I wrote those words I was processing yet another attack on innocent human life. That time I was brokenhearted over the loss of life in Paris, and shocked by the brazen show of hate that caused it.

I use the phrase “that time” because we all know there were many times before the Paris attack – and countless times since then – when human lives were lost in the name of hate.

I’m not getting political here. It’s far too early in this blogger-reader relationship for that. I am simply saying this: Last week it was Texas, this week it was Northern California. We all know that six months from now, this post will be woefully out of date.

Here’s the thing – hate doesn’t have to win. Love, the rightful winner, can prevail if we choose. There is nothing wrong or silly or weak in choosing to live a life of love and kindness and tolerance.

I know I’m writing in pretty, glossy words here. That’s partly because I haven’t a clue where to start to fix this mess. I just know that life is chaos. It’s hard for everyone – and some people fare better than others. I have fought to keep a spark of wonder, kindness, and creativity in me amidst all of the shitty news, the loss, and the general weariness that comes with living in our world today. The way I see it, if I can stay on the side of the hopeful, I might actually make a difference.

I am rewriting those earlier stanzas as a charge to all of you. Maybe we can hold each other accountable and, who knows, make life a little less scary, sad, and difficult.

So repeat after me:

There is still beauty in the world – if we look for it.
There is still magic – if we are open to it.
There is still calm – if we create it.