There are quite a few issues dividing people into groups of pros and cons, for and against, heffalumps and woozles. It’s very confusel. Truly. Awfully. And what gets lost in the collision of perspectives, most of them valid, some of them regressed and infantile, is the truth. The truth that when we’re stripped down to the essentials, the life and death line in the sand, the reality of our mortality, right where we are, in our alleged zones of comfort, we stand in love and support. We forget what divided us and we reach out to give a big hug, somehow, some way. Most of us, anyway. I’m going to proclaim that most of us do. Because, it’s true. And I’m going to share why I believe it, just from two examples. The really wonderful news is that these two examples are only two of countless – count that: countless – others.
Before 11am today, I ran into two stories of people reaching out and giving, going above and beyond any “normal” expectation and lavishing care. Forget that I live and experience that in my own world on a regular basis. Forget that were it not for kindness I’d not be where I am right now. Beyond what we all experience and take for granted on a daily basis, amazing and beautiful things are going on…
My 1st encounter with humanity love-news today came in the form of Rachel Beckwith’s story. Her story is tragic. Nothing coming from that tragedy changes the gravity of the loss. If we could all erase what happened and keep her here in this reality making a difference with her big-heartedness, we would. But we can’t. So we did something else. We did what we could do. People honored her dream and her big heart. Strangers and unknowns and people who’ll never be identified added their support to her dream. She wanted to raise $300 by her birthday. $300 for water for 15 people in Africa. She came up $80 short on her 9th birthday. A month later she died in a car accident. Less than 5 minutes of footage to see how people responded:
And then an hour after wiping the tears off my face, I find a Mother Jones article. The upside of it is that Old Crow Medicine heard of a US soldier who died in Baghdad. His name was Levi and he really liked Old Crow. They wrote a song for him and sang it to his family, in person. Here’s the video…
This is what we are, all conflicts aside, all greed and pride washed away, soul-fed and soulful, all self-loathing melted into something richer and truer. When we embrace this part of ourselves, we embrace an ancient truth; we embrace love and we embrace what can never tear us apart.
It’s happening everyday, all over the world. Right now. In spite of all the shite flying around, corruption surreal, regression horror and economic disaster…this is who we are underneath all the pretend.
J. Ruth Kelly 
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