A lot of you know that I have a daily question for my students. Sometimes they’re attempts to get a laugh, sometimes they’re directly related to the lesson, and this year I’ve realized the true value as I can tailor them to world events. Years ago we were discussing the most important quality in a friend during one of these questions. Honesty, loyalty, and humor were common answers. I had one student look to the person next to him and say he didn’t understand how he was the only person who mentioned love. He was confident in his answer and there was a genuine curiosity about why the rest of us took it in a different direction.
I will probably never forget this moment because year after year I only see how it is more true. Of course, a friend is near and dear and holds a lot of weight. (My friends = survival.) However, there’s obviously a need for an extension of love past our closest circles. I’ve had a weird and hard week, (like a lot of people) but the one thing that has brought me peace and gives me hope is that acceptance is a life long endeavor, and I *think* acceptance has to start with love. You don’t have to agree with beliefs that diverge from your own, but you need to be willing to accept the challenge of starting the conversation. A strong conviction is a beautiful thing, but my strong convictions mean nothing to someone if they don’t think I care about them and their beliefs, too.
I’ve never cast a vote for Donald Trump and that was never anything I had to think twice about. However, I can’t expect change or growth if I don’t leave the door open wide enough to at least listen to a whisper. Like I tell my students, a good argument finds the common ground (and yes, sometimes that means getting reallllly creative with your thinking), and a genuine go at getting someone to listen might mean starting in a place you didn’t expect where you set your beliefs aside at the beginning and focus on the person until there is a big enough space to start a meaningful conversation.
More love will bring more hope, and working on what growth within the idea of acceptance looks like just might open a few unexpected doors. Maybe as you read this, the revealing of my political leaning leaves you a little frustrated. You’re allowed that frustration but if it’s much more than that, my point has been proven. On the other side, maybe you like this post merely for the fact that I’ve mentioned my politically leaning, and that is equally troubling. It’s really easy to find camaraderie among like minded people, but I’m ready to try to be open about the idea of finding camaraderie among those with whom I disagree.
Real Always Wins 