What is Real

Of course everyone is talking about basically one thing right now. It's sad, and it's a loss. But, thousands of people die every day, and many of these are preventable. I'm not here to re-hash rumors and gossip about the situation. But I would like to focus on a couple of things:

Every. Life. Matters.

Read that again.

Life is fragile. Death is real. Pain is real. Life is hard.

There are few things that ease that kind of pain. But I've found that, as much as I hate to admit it, I'm comforted by something I learned years ago in church. And that's love and the power it holds over our lives. People often re-live their most painful moments over and over again. They get stuck there. A heart breaks and can't be fixed with a couple of words or sentiments. Love isn't easy, nor is it cheap. It's one of the greatest things that can happen in this world, and it's priceless. Again, it isn't easy. It's always a fight. Either to hold on at all costs or the deeper pain of just letting it go. I still haven't fully learned which is best. But here's the truth: it's still worth it. The possibility that love is real and tangible is worth fighting for.

I don't know the details of today's "top story" and this isn't where I'd like to speculate. But I do know this….

We are still here, you and me. And the real question is what we do with that truth. What do we do with the life we still have and the air that's still in our lungs?

We are certainly strong. But we are also certainly fragile. Please be careful…with yourselves and with each other.