Little feet, pure joy and hope

I spent last night, like most, watching and crying.

That wasn’t how I wanted to spend my night. A friend had texted me in the evening, and I quickly realized that I had been in a news vacuum throughout the day. I didn’t know all of the sadness. I didn’t know all of the pain. I didn’t know all of the hurt.

Overwhelmed by disregard for human life, I took out my computer and realized that I still had an outstanding photoshoot to go through  -- and it was of kids, in the water, at a splash pad.

Sometimes I try to live in a bubble – a place where people treat others with respect, with honesty and with care. A place where it doesn’t matter if your skin color is different than someone else’s. A place where it doesn’t matter if you have a Ph.D or just barely made it through your GED. A place where we care for others and see them for the genuine person that they are.

I know there are people out there who choose to do horrible things. None of us are perfect.

I long to see the world through the eyes of children – where they see nothing but the pure joy of playing in the water ~ not worrying about who will grow up to be darker or lighter than the other. Not worrying about who will be a neurosurgeon and who will be a stay-at-home mommy. Not worrying about who will have to work harder in school. Not worrying … and yet fully caring.

While my heart is breaking, my heart is full of hope, because I see the innocence and love of these littles ~ and I hope beyond hope that they can teach us how to love, honor and respect ourselves, our family members, our friends, our co-workers, those in authority, those weaker than us ~ those who treat others with love...

Teach them to treat others with love. Model it in your own life. Learn from the little ones whose lives haven’t been tainted. Be the light that casts aside the darkness.