PEACE

As I watch the numerous news sources fill my social media feeds, I (like many others) am struck by the scenes of war being projected around the world.  The pictures, videos, soundbites, etc. are scary and heart-wrenching.  I normally don’t blog about politics, and this will be a short blog, but I cannot imagine living in a country where this is reality; that is our every day; that I am raising children in the midst of war. 

Many of the pictures and videos have captured children, babies, families just trying to survive; find shelter; food, and heat.  A hospital in the middle of one of the war-torn cities had moved their entire NICU unit with a dozen of tiny, helpless infants, to the hospital basement in order to protect them from bombings.  Nurses were using hand pumps to breathe oxygen into a number of the infant’s lungs in the midst of the chaos.  I cannot even begin to imagine…

What I do know is that besides the fear, empathy, sympathy, I feel for those suffering, I also feel anger and frustration. I don’t know all the political dynamics and I am not going to proceed down a history lesson path as well but what I do know is that I value democracy. That people should be able to live in a county or state (even world) where they can speak, walk, work, worship, etc. without fear of tyrants and power-hungry egos with political and social/economical agendas. Dictators that lead with ego are dangerous as we have all seen and witnessed.

As the week continues and more news footage keeps coming, I hope that those brave, courageous individuals who are fighting and protecting their homes, their families, and their way of life keep on pressing forward.  That they continue to gain support and encouragement from the rest of the free world.  I hope that we can find ways to further support and aid those in need halfway around the world in their time of strife. 

Long live democracy; long live courage; and long live peace.