I choose love first

 Good mawning!

I choose love first!

How do I know? Because I remind myself to.

Because I do it for this little girl.

This girl had people standing around her pulling at her hair in the playground. They threw sand in it. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" They laughed and laughed.

They piled gym mats on her in gym class so they could stick the velcro to her hair. "HAHAHA" It was so funny!

They shoved her face into the metal doors in the winter. One time her tongue got caught and she was stuck to the door while everyone went inside. "HAHAHAHA." Stuff happens.

This girl got called names and made fun of... "You're so buggable! It's fun! Why aren't you laughing?" "You're so serious! Chill out!"

It's when I decided... I was NO LONGER the "butt" of the jokes and the one to be singled out, made fun of, ostracized...

That I found the love... of my own company first. Then of the beauty in the world. Then of connecting with those who have gone through similar in their lives... at the "expense" of someone else's "HAHA".

That when people want to label and mock you and "decide" you are something that you are not... and they mistreat you... show "Rasha"... exclude you... "Rudolph" you, and laugh it off like it's not a poor choice to not show kindness or love... to not encourage daily with sincerity and consideration...

I'm grateful.

That I get to be "sensitive" to the importance of kindness and the need of love first. That I was sensitized to the needs of the meek and weary. That leading with love and connection through a revered state opens the doors for others to do the same and then... move into a space of "softening" and even giving a "haha" or two at our challenges, limitations, and even non serving behaviour.

I'm grateful for the moments I feel sad, discouraged, weighed down, disappointed. I don't stay there. AND in those moments, where it can be harder to pick yourself up and you are needing support, I PRAY that support will show up for you in whatever ways possible... including me, in this moment, keeping my word to this girl to choose each new day to #lovefirst.

#thankYouGod #divinelysupported #encouragedaily #builduponeanother #tzedakah #oneanotherlove #connect #Sawubona #getsupport