Stand together.

Bang. Bang. Bang. BANG. BANG.

Slow and steady and terrifyingly LOUD.

I sit in a room with a group of people. The floor beneath us shakes with the force of the blows we hear. The walls shake, the windows rattle with the force and we can hear the creaking of the joists. 

We can hear the roaring outside, the terrible roaring. It’s getting louder.

There’s a monster pounding at the door. And it will get in. That cannot be stopped.

I look to my left and I look to my right and I look all around me and see that I am not alone. We are shaking and crying and scared but we are each stronger than we know. I reach out my hand on either side and I can feel that I’m not alone. I have my friends. 

We can face this monster down. It may wreck our house and all that we’ve built but we’ll face the monster down and come out the other side.

And we will find new friends along the way. You will find friends in places you never thought to look. REACH OUT TO THEM. DO NOT LET FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN KEEP YOU FROM MAKING A CONNECTION.

While searching for images for this post, I found a picture of a sixteen year old boy living in India. The boy has neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition which causes uncontrollable growths along the nerves. He's a modern day medicine man, half his face is grown larger than the other, it looks bloated and swollen and melting.

I have food, shelter, money...privilege. I am scared of the monster at the door and what will happen to my friends, but I have gratitude for all I have as well.

Find your gratitudes.