“When

I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to

me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Mr.

Rogers’ popular quote has perhaps never been more relevant than it is right

now, in these times of upheaval.

It

resurfaces after every inexplicable atrocity, repeated and shared until we are

convinced that we can retain our faith in humanity.

Recently, it has become a mantra for me,

providing a fleeting moment of hope in between the merciless chaos and despair.

Currently,

it seems as if the whole world is involved in an elaborate scheme to keep my

heart and spirit broken.

The past few

weeks have been particularly depressing, with one senseless act of violence preceding

another, overlapping without a single second of peace in between.

It has become impossible to turn my head

without encountering some form of injustice.

Whether it was the worst mass shooting in recent history that targeted

the LGBT community in Orlando, bombings in Turkey, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia that

killed Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan, deadly attacks in Bangladesh

that occurred less than a week apart, the shootings of Alton Sterling and

Philando Castile, in Baton Rouge and Minnesota, or the retaliatory attack that

killed five Law Enforcement Officers earlier today, in Dallas---it is

undeniable that the ugliness on this planet has reached a fever pitch.

I am tired, hurt,

devastated, angry, and deeply saddened, but mostly I am ready for change.

It is especially difficult to remain positive

whilst simultaneously feeling helpless.

As

a humanist, it is impossible to abstain from feeling vicarious pain;

it is even more challenging to stop myself

from feeling emotionally, physically, and spiritually drained from the

frequently debilitating empathy.

It

has always been my desire to leave the world a better place than it was when I

found it.

It feels selfish of me to

continue pretending that my own life is somehow more significant because of my

blessings.

Although, the gates of

oppression can only be unlocked by education and information, I cannot convince

myself, in good conscience, that I am making a difference.

It is not merely enough to spread awareness; I

need to feel like I am doing everything in my power to assist the less

fortunate.

It is said that charity

starts in the home, so that will be the beginning of my journey, and then from

there I hope to spread love across the globe.

Grief

is pointless unless it acts as a catalyst to help rewrite some of the saddest

stories.

I refuse to be on the wrong

side of history or these wars being fought against the innocent.

There is no better time than now for me to

evolve from feeling helpless into being a helper.