Well, hello there!
Welcome to yet another Monday where I hope to bring some sunshine, positive energy, smiles, and happiness into your life for just a few moments as you read through the next couple of sentences and paragraphs.
How is that we are almost already through the first month of 2021?
The time certainly hasn’t slowed down at all and will only continue to get faster.
What’s also hard to believe is that we are coming up on a full year of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The last day working in the office is still one that is incredibly vivid in my mind.
And to think that our original thought process was that we were only going to be doing it for about 2 weeks.
It was a monumental week in our Country and regardless of your political affiliation, there is still something to be said about being able to witness the first woman Vice President of The United States.
I mean, that is pretty cool.
I would even go as far as to say groundbreaking.
Anyway, I don’t want to get political…
I just wanted to acknowledge that what I got to witness (from the bits and pieces I saw on TV) on Wednesday in our Country was pretty darn awesome.
There is no doubt that everyone in this world (myself included) has struggled at one point or another during the past year. Whether it was trying to make ends meet with jobless claims of unemployment benefits, figuring out how to keep up with your bill payments, how to homeschool your children while balancing a work from home schedule, where your next meal would come from, how to stay connected with those you love while keeping social distance between yourselves, anxiety, loneliness…
…The list goes on and on.
There were some dark times that we experienced. And there are still some dark times ahead. We aren’t out of the woods.
Even though we have new leadership in The White House, we have to keep in mind that we, as human beings, also need to be a part of the change.
We need to remember that “without faith, nothing is possible and with faith, anything is possible.”
There are still bumpy roads ahead for our world. We are far from the home stretch of getting rid of darkness, hatred, violence, bigotry, supremacy, or whatever the case might be.
Humanity in the world among us is still struggling, but it will never become any better it we don’t learn how to be HUMAN with each other.
It doesn’t matter your political affiliation.
It doesn’t matter if your candidate is no longer occupying The White House.
We need to smile at the stranger.
We need to listen with patient before yelling and reacting emotionally.
We need to understand that not everyone will share our same opinions.
We need to shake the hand of our neighbor rather than pointing the finger.
We need to step forward with love rather than hate.
We need to learn to be human to ALL humans.
We need to learn from our fellow brothers and sisters to break down walls that we have built merely because someone doesn’t share our same mindset or is “different.”
Since the events on Wednesday, I have been watching/listening to the below video on repeat.
And while this has been my favorite song and jam for quite sometime, it became even more special to me this week.
I watch it and tear up regardless of how many times I’ve viewed it.
It gives me hope.
It gives me a renewal of energy.
It gives me faith that we can change the world.
Strip away the politics.
Strip away the polarization.
Stop closing off your eyes and ears to the outcry of our world that needs you, me, and everyone else around us.
Katy Perry – Firework (From Celebrating America) – YouTube
Sprinkle sunshine always,
JP!
Mr. Sunshine Smiles 