“This country will never fail. We will never be broken. Because South Africa is filled with more good than bad. It is the good people who move us forward.” – Dr Imtiaz Sooliman
Johannesburg, South Africa (24 November 2022) – I woke up with utter sadness in my heart yesterday morning.
The world is broken and we are to blame. Us. The ones who think things happening on the other side of the world don’t impact them. The ones who choose not to get involved. The ones who look away when it gets too terrible to look at.
This article is dedicated to the people who tragically died in the Club Q shooting. To that army veteran and the drag queen that stopped the homophobe from doing more harm. To the women of Iran who are standing up for what is right. To the men that are joining them. To the Ukrainians. To the young Russians being forced to fight. To the Indonesian rescue workers trying to save lives in the face of that devastating quake. To the Alaskans who have to find new homes because of climate change. To the family mourning the loss of their loved ones in South Africa. To the people fighting against poverty, crime, corruption and that god-awful ANC. To the people trying to fix our communities, our countries and the world. To the heroes.
Yes, I woke up and had a little cry for the world. But funny enough, I also had hope for a better tomorrow.
Because in times of tragedy, we need to look for the helpers… they are always there. I promise you this. The ones who know that words and actions matter, no matter what part of the world they are said in. The ones not looking away. The ones getting involved.
The ones making a difference.
The heroes.
By midday, I found myself at an event with Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, who said to me: “This country will never fail. We will never be broken. Because South Africa is filled with more good than bad. It is the good people who move us forward.”
What an inspirational way to spend a lunch hour. What an incredible change in perspective. A reminder that we are all connected, that we rise by lifting each other. A reminder that we should be making our tables longer, instead of our walls higher.
The good outweighs the bad. I know this because I work in the “good space”. I just wanted to remind you of this too.
Kindness matters.
Yes, this article is dedicated to kindness and all the helpers and the heroes.
Thank you.
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