Radical Compassion

I read the article "I am Adam Lanza's Mother", and I have to say I applaud her for being open and honest. I thought she was right on when she said, 

"It's easy to talk about guns, but it's time to talk about mental illness."

I don't usually give my opinions on social, economic, or political issues, but here's why I am talking about this woman's article.

Reading stories like this is how compassion and empathy will breed. It's easy to talk smack, and criticize others and their lives, their kids, their choices. But it's commendable and honorable to educate ourselves, to refrain from judgement, and to not assume. It's beautiful when we remember that we are all part of humanity, but we are very very fallen. We are so far from how things "should be" and we are even  further from what's "fair". And because I'm in school to be a counselor, and I just learned about doing what works, and what's effective, I'll say this: 

We are given a choice everyday on how we are going to contribute in life, {our own lives and others' lives}--will we just be another voice in the crowd that slams others? Will we be a person who jumps to conclusions and thinks we know everything there is to know? Will we jump on the band wagon of political laws? Will we just stand back and judge a situation and pretend we know all that needs to be done to fix this but really do nothing? 
OR
Are we going to be a people who understand that it all starts with awareness? Are we going to make an effort to get informed and learn? Will we stand up for those suffering with things out of their control? Will we lend our time to organizations to volunteer at various places with all kinds of people? Will we give our time to our kids and their friends that need it? Sometimes school work CAN wait. Sometimes chores can wait. Sometimes are kids and others just need us to sit with them and talk about life. I hope we'll be available.I want to be an advocate for children, especially where mental health is concerned.

My wish is that school add mental health awareness and education to their curriculum. Wouldn't that be amazing?

I hope to be a person of influence in my everyday, and I vow to continue to get criticism out of my system day in and day out. I want to have compassion when it's tough to have it. I want to have empathy for people in trauma.I want to learn when it's not easy to understand. I want to extend grace when it's not deserved and I want to forgive when it feels impossible. 

One life has always had the power to make a difference. And that's what I plan to do with mine.

Tuesday Mourning by Ellen Print