Last night I heard an impromptu speech at Toastmasters. It struck me deeply. The topic was love, of course. But not the type of love we usually think of at this time of the year. You know what I mean–perfect love, doting suitors, loving husbands and attentive wives. No, this was about loving those who don’t seem to deserve it. The grouchy, self-absorbed or weird. Those who are ill and smelly. The ruffians we can’t stand. The homeless or downtrodden.

And the point was if we make the effort to love those who are seemingly unlovable, what might we accomplish? Could we build that person up to the point where they do become lovable? Or more realistically, would our efforts be the one bright spot in an otherwise darkened life? Could we provide the spark that relights someone’s fire? What if what we do today is the thing that keeps someone from pulling the plug tomorrow?

Suicide is the second leading cause of death (next to accidents) in people from the ages of 15 to 34. Depression–one in six cases goes undiagnosed–is the leading factor in those deaths. It’s a plague on our nations. Forget about the Coronavirus. It’s small peanuts compared to this problem.

So, this Valentine’s Day, remember the people on the fringes, the ones who fly beneath our radar, who aren’t the people we think of when we turn to love. Do something that’s not easy. Show real love and compassion for the difficult one in your life. It may just be the act that lifts them up.

Then, when today is over, keep doing those small things that can bring light into the lives of people for whom darkness is ever-present; a smile, a heartfelt compliment, a warm meal with real conversation, a driveway shovelled, a window fixed, perhaps nothing more than a wordless hug.

What have you got to lose? A little time, some pocket change, maybe a little sweat equity. Since when have any of these things been harmful?

Let’s change the world.

 

 

Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2020