US

Working with the under 10 set has helped me to see that there are still major lessons to be learned from Disney’s blockbuster Frozen. And seeing some of the nastiness of the social media offerings over the last couple of weeks leaves me no alternative but to remember out loud what my Grandmother taught me, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”. I’m sure there are grandkids all over the country who were taught the same thing. So why have so many of us forgotten?! At the risk of sounding pious: social media musings cloaked in semi-anonymity are not exempt from this rule.

There was a song from Sting a few cold war moons ago in which the recurring line told of the Russians loving their children too.  He continued with, “we share the same biology regardless of ideology”.  Sting’s not from the US but it would seem his grandma taught him that we can agree to disagree– in peace. Love really is an open door that we can choose to walk through when we eschew hateful rants and remarks. Kindness leaves bridges in tact no matter what our beliefs, and choosing love over hate makes us all winners every time. Without that door we are walled up behind our ideologies and ideals lofty or base, depending on who’s rating. Not hate or bitterness but Love
is an open door.