Why I'm keeping the faith, when I want to throw in the towel...

Thanksgiving kicks off my favorite time of the year! Meeting with friends and family to celebrate all the joys and blessings in our life, followed by an entire month of sharing happiness, kindness, and compassion...what's not too love?!?

Well, this year my favorite time of year has been taken away from me. And instead of whisking away the last of my postpartum depression it has worsened it. Why you may ask? Why instead of feeling joy and happiness do I look at the lights, at the tree decorated by my children with joy and feel sadness and a little despair? Well it struck me today why...
Because this year my favorite time of year is also accompanied by many violent attacks towards humankind- and although terrible I am not talking about Paris, or San Bernardino...I'm talking about the rest of it. The constant news reel bashing a religion for "raising terrorists" the news feeds on Facebook where someone will post about keeping Christ in Christmas and then say Keep those Damn refugees out of my country! My favorite time of year is my favorite because of all the love and joy spread to family, friends, neighbors, strangers....but this year love is being shadowed by fear and hate.

Well, my friends I'm standing up! I may not be tall, but I am loud and I am proud and I am taking my year back! Hate will not have a place in my house- it is NOT welcome here. That means in flesh, in technology, in thought...none shall enter. I intend to "Be the Change I wish to see in the World". I intend to raise my children with the belief that the human race is just that- ONE RACE regardless of faith, color, language, or God Damn Country they were born in. I intend to show my children that love can and WILL conquer all hate, ignorance, and bigotry. I intend to spark my light anew, let it shine, and share the love of my favorite time of year ALL YEAR LONG.

Depression will no longer have a hold on me, fear will not engulf me, because I will know in my heart and soul that I love, that my children love, and hopefully that love can spread to the entire world and unite us all as one...

So this holiday season I'm bringing back my faith- my faith in humanity, when I want to throw in the towel, because my children deserve a better world filled with love and acceptance and I intend to model that for them.

I'm not giving up because I'm sick of fear-driven, bigoted rhetoric ruining my happiness.