Don’t believe the noise. Those mean, petty, hateful voices will never be the majority. They only seem loud and pervasive, because they have the idle time to broadcast their negativity. The rest of us are too busy with real efforts to make the world a better place.
Anthon St. Maarten
Hey, Lovelies.
It had to happen. After yesterday’s post I copped a bunch of mean messages.
People who suggested that I should just catch COVID and die.
People who said that it doesn’t matter if people with disabilities or chronic illness or co-morbidities die because they are useless people anyway who are a burden to society.
People who told me I was all manner of terrible things, and people who wished all kinds of terrible things would befall me.
That’s okay.
Angry people hurt people. Hurt people hurt people.
I managed it by:
- having coffee with a girlfriend
- deleting abuse and blocking abusers, and reporting them if there were threats of violence
- keeping a running commentary with my team about the insults and abuse that landed in my inboxes, in a way that made us all laugh and that diffused tension
- hanging out with my dogs
- meditating, and doing a tonglen meditation for all those people who lashed out at me
- reading all of the affirming messages and vulnerable outpourings from people within the disability, chronic illness and medical condition community and their families, who are also looking for some kind of positive solutions or options for themselves and their families, and who only want to be seen and understood and included, rather than being made to feel that they are worthless and dispensable, or that their situation is somehow all their fault.
These people who abused me yesterday are not the majority – they just make the most noise.
I still have faith in the goodness of people everywhere, and our capacity to love and care for one another, no matter how different we may be to one another, no matter how diverse our views.
Keep being kind, people. Keep being the best version of yourself that you can be. Keep lifting others up. If we don’t, who will?
Love, compassion and the zen space that comes from meditation, Nicole xx
Dearest Nichole,
You are a very very brave lass who opens your doors and windows to reach out and comfort so many of us crying souls at critical times. Open doorways means you let in not only the light but also dust and the little pests that sneak in along. But does that stop anyone of us from letting in light and fresh air. The dust will settle down and the pests dont last for long. Until then…
Lots of love, prayers and hugs
November 25 is Thanksgiving Day in the US. Even though I have lived in Costa Rica for almost 23 years, I still celebrate this holiday. I have left behind the old history of this holiday and have chosen to give gratitude for all that I have in my life. Thank you Nicole for all the beauty you bring to my life and others!
Dear Nicole,A hug for you on this damp old day.Some people just never get beyond the power trip of being the mean bully at school.And they can do this on line,without fear of retribution. What sad lives they lead,all grey and pinched up in side.I do hope they find a way to enrich their lives, and learn better kinder ways to pass their days.Or get heamorhoids. yours hopefully
Wendy
Many tears Nicole reading this post. I am wondering what brings people to have so much hate in their hearts and what mentality is theirs? I have always believed that people who have a disability, life threatening illnesses and all the terrible medical conditions that remain unseen to the outsider cannot and should not be the brunt of the cruelness some people inflict. They should remember it only takes a split second and this can befall them! I just don’t get why anyone would wish you above all people harm. Your posts are filled with kindness and caring, positivity and what comes through is a genuine caring for humanity, nature and the Earth we live on. Why troll someone’s page just to be abusive? On my darkest days your posts uplift me and bring a smile and for this I personally thank you Nicole xx
I only wonder why such people read your blog. Surely they can not find topics that match their personality. So what are they looking for?
You are amazing, I don’t get mean people
Oh, Nicole, I am so sorry! You’re right – those people are hurt and/or angry, and misery loves company, I suppose. Please, please keep being your wonderful, gentle, compassionate, loving self. Thank you for all y ou do for others.