Do What You Can

It's freezing cold outside in Coastal Virginia. We just had some snow in what they're calling a "winter storm", which here is usually just a mix of rain and snow and then it goes away in a day or two. This particular storm is not affecting our area nearly as much as some areas surrounding us. In more ways than one, we are lucky. We are a state that has very mild winters, we get to experience every season, and we know that in just a few short months, we will feel the glorious sun and humidity on our skin. Spring will bring daffodils, businesses will be filled with customers new and returning, families will be able to enjoy leisure comfortably, and everything will feel okay for a while.

While we wait patiently for Spring to arrive, there are millions of people in this country who are waiting for justice, empathy and humanity in their communities and for their representatives to fight for them. There are hundreds of thousands of families who are wondering when they will see each other again, and there are countless people who are wishing more than anything that life could just feel calm and safe.

I feel so conflicted and privileged to be sitting here in my comfortable home while I know that there are entire cities being brutalized and terrorized. They are suffering under an authoritarian administration that has sent out its worst and most barbaric resources in an attempt to break them into submission. The brave and resilient people of Minnesota are more than an inspiration; they are a prime example to the whole country on how to stand up and fight against these attacks against their own. Even in below freezing temperatures, even though some of them have died trying to defend others, and even though they know they risk being forcibly taken, they persist. With less resources, no funding, and little to no protection, they continue to prove that this country and the people in it can show up for each other and defend themselves without selling their souls.

Each day of this year so far has been filled with chaos and unrest nationwide. As the world braces itself for whatever may come for the next several years, in my personal life, I am preparing for motherhood. I will give birth to a baby girl in a few weeks. My husband and I will be bringing a child into the world in a time that feels surreal and dystopian. One day, my child will probably ask me about the events that were happening while she was a baby, and I will have to answer for the decisions that I make today. We will all have to answer for what we choose to do now. I sincerely hope that one day I can tell her that I did everything I could possibly do for the people that I care about, and that when the time came to do so, that I cared for my community in the small and unseen ways and also in the bigger, more sacrificial ways.

I've loved hospitality and have been pretty obsessed with it for a long time. When I can walk into a business, a home, a church or any establishment and immediately feel a sense of safety and belonging, I'm naturally compelled to return. Every human being is deserving of places that make them feel seen, heard, and genuinely cared for, no matter what is happening around us. In these times of danger and unrest, I truly believe that business owners, church leaders, elected officials and community members have a responsibility and a duty to their communities to provide whatever it is that is needed for them to survive and thrive in any season and in every circumstance. Even if your contribution is small, the act of contributing to a healthy and well-connected society is crucial. If it's listening to someone lament about the state of things, making space in your home, being a shoulder to cry on, making someone a cup of tea, or donating clothes and food, you are contributing in a meaningful way. What really matters is that we are prepared to be there for each other in whatever ways that we can. That is what will bring us to a more prosperous future. We have to step up in whatever capacity we have to do so.

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?" That is what I will continually be asking myself as a wife, mother, family member, and hopefully soon a business owner. This is what we should all be asking of ourselves. What will you do with the time and resources that you have?