We will not live in fear
As a nation we were just rocked by yet another senseless and heartbreaking tragedy. Monday’s bombing in Boston left most of us shaken and emotionally bereft. Acts of domestic terrorism are becoming increasingly common for this country. This latest terrible event has left many of us with a diminished sense of security and a lingering question about the state of humanity.
I too feel angry and along with that anger, a deep sadness for the changes that will come as a result of yet another violent act.
BUT…I have not lost my faith in humanity, not yet.
I see daily acts of kindness among strangers. These are acts of sensible support and inclusion. Each and every day I watch complete strangers offer compassion, comfort and support to each other. I watch as people offer advice, encouragement and congratulations.
I know you must be thinking that I work in an urgent care center or something…but no, I work for a leading debt relief provider.
It seems like a weird setting for such acts of kindness, but they are happening all of the time. As the Social Media Manager for my company, I am constantly watching the conversations taking place among our customers in our online community.
Being open about your debt is a VERY hard thing to do. But in this community and on our Facebook page there is a feeling of camaraderie and support. These people do not judge each other and they are quick to dish out solid advice or just offer a shoulder to lean on. Complete strangers are offering each other a safe environment where it is okay to not be perfect and to have made some mistakes financially.
Job loss and a struggling economy have been taking a toll on us. Most of us aspire to have a lifestyle like what our parents had, but with today’s challenges that is becoming increasingly harder to do. We are facing a reality check about our financial lives and learning a tough lesson about the siren song of credit.
Typically we shoulder these financial burdens alone and struggle.
The people I watch in our community do not struggle alone. In their shared struggle they find the strength and courage to do the hard work; to not take the easy road.
These people are building each other up and providing a resource of shared experience to help reach their financial goals.
Now I realize that this is not on the same level as say running into a burning building…but these acts of kindness and encouragement inspire me.
Daily displays of support motivate me. When I see these people bonding together to face their financial challenges I see hope. This daily display of humanity is what prevents a horrific event like the Boston Marathon bombing to dismantle my sense of faith and hope.
I am a part of the personal finance community and my experiences in this community compel me to believe that people are intrinsically kind. If you are a personal finance blogger than you too know that in this #pf community we seek to raise each other up.
There is strength in our collective mission to empower people financially.
Facing that kind of unity and encouragement fortifies me. When heart-wrenching moments like Monday’s bombing happen I want to remember that I have hope. I want to reach out to my community and shake our collective fist in the face of terror.
Who’s with me?
Suzanne, I could not agree more. In hard times, it’s very important to work hard to achieve your financial goals and not give up hope. As Rocky Balboa once said, “it’s not about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward..”
Hi David,
Love a good Rocky quote!!! Thanks so much for stopping by!
I am with you Suzanne. We have to stick together in the good times and the bad. Though we have some bad apples, people tend to lean toward being good. It was nice to see people helping others after the Monday tragedy. It is also great to see people help others in the PF community. I see it everyday and enjoy it.
Hi Grayson,
I feel like we need to focus on these daily examples because it is so easy to allow these isolated events undermine that sense of right versus wrong. I sincerely appreciate the PF community and the acceptance and support that people extend to each other. Thanks for reading!
I’m very grateful for the support and encouragement that I’ve received from the PF community, the CareOne community, and specifically my friends at CareOne as Vonnie and I have fought our way to this point in our Get Out Of Debt Journey. It’s horrifying to watch the violent things extremists will do to get attention or to further their cause. But I love watching people come together to help each other in a time of need – it would be even more awesome to see that coming together happen when not prompted by a crisis.
Hi Travis,
Well clearly the CareOne community is near and dear to my heart as well. I feel blessed to meet people like Vonnie and yourself and count you as friends.
Suzanne, wonderful post. I completely agree with you; the support in the PF community is absolutely amazing. We are in month 4 of our own journey to get out of debt, and I know that a big part of the reason we’re still at it in spite of facing huge odds is because the people that we have met as we blog about our journey have strengthened us, encouraged us, and shared their wisdom as we work to make the right decisions for our path. There are still more wonderful people out there, people who care, than there are those who live to hurt others. Those of us who are on the side of helping each other just need to stick together, as Grayson pointed out. Thanks for an inspiring post!
Hi Laurie,
Wow that is really exciting that you have recently begun your own journey! I will have to check out your blog!!! I really appreciate your comments and of course agree! There are far more awesome people than bad and we will prevail! 🙂
Me too. I cannot believe this is what we have come to, I have higher expectations. I hope we can get pass this whole!
We will! Thanks for commenting 🙂
Beautiful post, Suzanne. I can’t think of anything else to say about it. I hope you and your family have a great weekend. <3