Do Something

All around me I can see people struggling. 

I see loss, sadness, grief, and disappointment. This week I see a young mom with a brand new baby lose her own mother. I see the heartache. I see the devastation. I can only imagine the emotional pain that weighs on her and her family. 

I flick on my TV and see disturbing images and clips of innocent people scared, fleeing and praying that they can escape the danger and keep there family safe and protected. 

I see a dear friend, who carrys the weight of her teenage sons recently received fatal diagnosis. 

And a client, who found out recently that her son will be incarcerated for life due to a severe addiction that put him in some unfortunate situations. 

And a friend, who with hopes to move on after the loss of her life long partner, began a new love story that sadly had a heartbreaking conclusion. 

This life is hard. 

We can look around and see sadness. 

But there is also much goodness. 

One of my dear friends gave me some wonderful advice that has stuck with me from the moment these words left her mouth. 

She said, “If you want to help someone and don’t know how, just do something.” 

This was the greatest advice ever given. 

I CAN do something. 

I can love, I can pray. I can send a door dash gift certificate, or a love note. I can make a small donation to the Ukrainian Funds, I can drop off a small bouquet of fresh picked flowers from my fields. 

Something. Something is doable. 

Doing something is love. 

It doesn’t have to be the “perfect” thing, or the most extravagant thing. The thing we think is the only thing worth doing when someone is hurting, and struggling so much.

This thought of ‘but whatever I do won’t be enough’ and ‘this struggle they have is so heavy how does a small meal or note make any difference at all?’ 

But it does. All of these small, kind, thoughtful acts are done with the most amazingly powerful energy in all the land. 

They are done with love. 

Do something, Do that little something with love and that changes the world around us. It changes the world inside of us. Love should always be the energy behind the actions we take. 

Don’t help someone because you feel bad for them. 

Don’t offer help because your sad yourself. 

They have enough emotional pain of their own, don’t add to their pain. 

A quick story. One time one of my longtime clients who I adored walked into the salon and right away I knew something was off. I said (I’ll use the name Sue for an example) “Sue, is everything okay, you don’t seem yourself.” She told me of the traumatic experience she and her family had faced. She lost her husband to a devastating snowmobile accident at the most unexpected time. I began to cry, I was so sad for her. I was shocked and the only thing I knew to do was cry, because I was SAD FOR HER. Then she consoled me!? 

Don’t add our sadness to the ones who are already swimming, even drowning in their own pain. 

Add love, and lots of it. Have love for those you love. Hold space for them. Let them have all the emotions THEY want to feel at the time. Don’t force our own emotions onto them. 

So my momma friends, when we see the heartbreak around us. When we see the ones we love struggle, face pains and devastation don’t be sad with them. Don’t add to their pain. Do this instead: Do something, anything, a teenie tiny little thing BUT do it with love. Do something, and do it with love. That is my soap box moment for today.