Some say that this world is dark.
They preach that hate has torn us. That people have lost touch like touch is something tangible.
That violence has plagued us. That racism, sexism, homophobia, and prejudice has divided us.
So they say.
But words are just that; things that are said.
And while hate and discrimination are an occurrence that must be endured, our world isn't built upon them.
It's made out that a spark will remain a spark and never thrive to be a fire. That this world is an oxygen-less expanse in which no act of kindness can develop and will always expire.
But they only see the darkness, because they’re eyes are closed.
Because this world is far more than a slate of wasted life and lost hope.
The media flashes messages of police shootings and racial hatred; but the other day I saw two elderly men- one white the other black- enjoying a cup of coffee as they laughed and played games.
And I saw a white officer help a poor, single black mother whose car had broken down before Christmas. Later he bought her kid a new bike because she didn't have any money to spend.
People say that the problem is hate and intolerance. But last week I saw a young man buy new shoes for an immigrant's kid because the old ones were broken.
And sexism is the new norm; but I saw a man give a cold lady his jacket on the frigid December night.
These are the things I see.
Because saying something doesn't make it true. I can say that I'm rich but when I wake up the next morning I'm still as middle-class. And you can say that everyone is evil, but that doesn't make them so.
Our land isn't a void of shadowy angst. This world is an inferno. A glimmering testament to the love in us all.
The way we cheer for others.
The way a stranger helps a person in need.
The way we hold the door open for others.
The small smile and nod we give to passerby's as we cross paths.
These are proofs of that.
And they'll say there's no going back and that this world is Hell frozen over. And if this is Hell I'd hate to see heaven.
Because for every misdeed there's a thousand acts of kindness.
So don't tell me we're incapable of love. We're all born with love in our hearts. It takes effort to hate but love comes naturally.
I see it when a person cries because their friend is too depressed to get out of bed.
I see it when a couple of sixty years dances together in public because they don't care what others think.
I see it when a person gives to the homeless.
I see it when a group of people come together for a good cause.
I see it.
So they'll say what they want, and to them I say, say on. Because they're only saying what they see.
And let them put on their sunglasses because when they finally see the love that's coursing through this world it's going to nearly blind them.
Some say this world is dark, but that's only because they haven't opened their eyes.