When famous people die we often have emotional reactions even though we have never met them. When Kenny Rogers died people reached out to check on me as though I had lost a relative. And I remember the gentle way my son told me that Alex Trebeck had passed. Often we can remember where we were when we learned of the passing of the ones that resonate with us – and there have been so, so many.
So, it’s not surprising that I reacted with shock and sadness when I was browsing on Facebook this morning and saw that Twitch had died. But nothing prepared me for the gut punch I experienced when I realized that he had taken his own life.
I actually remember the first time I saw him dance during his audition for “So You Think You Can Dance” maybe 15 years ago. He was mesmerizing to watch. He radiated joy. I was so happy when he went on to do really well on the show and then to eventually be the DJ for “Ellen” and then a judge on “So You Think You Can Dance.”
His passing is the painful reminder that we do not know what demons people fight, what heaviness they carry. For so many the smile is just a veneer covering immeasurable pain. It is not only the people who are visibly sad who need our love but sometimes the happy friend is the one who needs us to show them grace.
I sincerely hope the people in my life know they can always reach out to me for support. But I think it is important to, where possible, choose kindness in our interactions with each other. These last few years have been very difficult for so many of us and we have scars that are not always visible. I am guilty of snapping and being unpleasant just like everyone else. I am hoping that this will be the reminder I need to err on the side of understanding. That I will take my own suggestion to choose kindness.
4 thoughts on “Choose kindness”
Thanks Stacey. I will choose try to choose kindness.
You always do mom 🙂
I was recently struck by how often public venues are posting notes that remind us to be kind to staff, be respectful of waiters, remember that it is illegal to assault bus drivers and baristas and bartenders. My god! That we have to be reminded to behave with basic decency is just shocking.
And that I myself often flash quickly toward anger in my dealings with others is so disquieting. Reminds me of one of my old favorite dictates, “Behave in such a way that your friends can always defend you, but never have to.”
That is definitely a good one to remember.