CRACK NOT SHATTER

I woke up this morning in a vastly different world from the one I thought I woke up in yesterday. And it feels like what I thought was faith was, in fact, just naivete. It has been a long, long day.

I've tried so hard to keep from being reactionary or inflammatory, from dismissing out of hand the opposing stance. I've spent the last year learning about vulnerability, and chasing earnestness. And I want so badly to be that person -- to keep an open mind, and listen, and try to understand, and strive to build some good from this aching chasm that separates us.
 
 And I can't help but wonder, does it "feel different this time," each time?? Because this time it feels different. Last night I was stunned. Bewildered. And heartbroken. I've heard the words shock and grief a lot in the last 24 hours, and they don't feel hyperbolic. Is this it?? The beginning of something bigger than we can even see right now?? Will there come a point of no return -- of no departure?? It sounds extreme and insane, but it's there, on the minds and hearts of so many of my friends.
  
Today I have felt utterly lost and truly scared. But I've also felt motivated, empowered (strange as it seems), and inspired. To do good. To be better. To love harder, and hold closer, and dream bigger. This is not the end, but a new beginning. Now is the time to work more diligently than ever for the things we believe in.

I believe in kindness. I believe in standing with the underdog, standing for what's right. I believe in community, and a place at the table for each of us.

More than anything, more than ever, I believe in love.