Yesterday a friend of mine posted a rant on social media.

I felt EXACTLY the opposite.

I thought what she said sounded a bit selfish and even closed-minded. But I didn’t comment or leave an angry-faced emoji. I just put my phone down. And I walked outside to enjoy the sunshine.

See. My friend and I??? We have different points of view. Different experiences. Differing opinions.

I love her regardless. And I value our friendship. So, I gently reminded myself (for perhaps the thousandth time) that I’m practicing how to love people who have very different convictions than me.

Outside I threw the ball for my fourth grader. He whacked the whiffle ball so hard it broke in half as it zoomed across the yard. I’ll never forget how excited he was. How he cheered. How he turned to me and said, “This is a fun day, isn’t it mom!?”

Later I followed my daughter on a walk. She whizzed ahead on her scooter while I strolled along behind. And every once in a while, she threw the scooter to the ground so she could examine something. A pinecone. A spider. Once she pushed her face so close to a praying mantis, I thought it might pinch her nose. She laughed as it scurried across the sidewalk away from her little prodding finger.

My point is, when I get all caught up in The World, my anxiety nearly overtakes me. I get angry and scared and the sadness creeps in. And it feels like everything is awful.

But when I walk away. Outside. Back to my family and the ordinary life right in front of my face…I remember nothing is ALL awful. There is goodness here, too. And I’m so grateful for small pleasures.

When The World gets hard, I’m going to remember how to protect my peace and walk away. I’m going to get outside to breathe and feel the sun on my face. Laugh with my kids and memorize their little voices and excited faces. Watch a little mindless TV. Stay off of social media. Pray a lot. And remember to be grateful. And kind.

I can’t control other people.

But I can always choose to LOVE…

Even especially those who have very different convictions than me.

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