Be Brave

Be brave

Little things

Still matter most

— Naomi Shihab Nye

__________________

Sometimes I want to quit

Quit the struggle

Quit the fight

I want to close down Facebook

Turn off the television

Throw my cell phone into the closest snow drift

And sit in my study with my books

who know how to be civil,

and who offer me comfort and wisdom

and pet my dog,

and cater to the cats (who must be obeyed)

Because it all seems too big

The greed and hate, all too encompassing

Racism is up

Fear is up

Hate is up

Pollution is up

Lies are endemic

and there is so little I can do

and yet

little things still matter

Sun, after days of clouds, matters

A friend painting a picture of me (thanks John), matters

Finn bounding through the snow, matters

Shu (the cat) warming my feet, matters

The smell of fresh coffee

The beauty of a winter morning

All matter

And there are little things I can do

That still matter

I say thank you

I can listen

I can visit a friend

I can refrain from a brilliant, but cruel comment

I can pray

I can be kind

I can be generous

I can do so many little things

that keep,

at least within my tiny sphere of influence,

the hate, and anger

the racism, and cynicism

from growing

I can do little things to build hope

Little things to comfort,

Little things to help people find faith,

Little things to nurture Sacred Presence within my self.

Yes the problems are huge

   but “be brave

  little things

  still matter most”