For many years in my life I had difficulty reconciling my feelings towards Germans and Germany. While I was personally never a participant in the atrocities of World War II, I felt the effects through my Jewish heritage. There came a point when the distrust and anger I felt towards no specific person rattled me enough that I looked inward to discover that in reality, I have a lot to be thankful for as a result of Hitler.
For one, my family would not have been created if my mother's side of the tree had not fled atrocity. In turn, I would not be a person. Harsh. Second, Hitler was the result of a powerful rise in his society and collective thoughts. He might have been a maniac, paranoid and destined to doom and failure, but he was only as much evil as the society that created him. We are humans. No man stands alone.
This thought is one that stirred me to start this blog. We are not alone. I have great intentions with the actions of my life time, and I cannot sit and watch the collective society of humanity grow in outrage, xenophobia, hurt and judgment. In reality, there are always things to be thankful for with every person on the planet. Ignoring these things causes an imbalance that in a single person can create negative health attributes we know to be high blood pressure, muscle wasting, digestive upset and more. In a society, it creates a recipe for doom and failure. Each day I have challenged myself to build something more positive and beneficial for all, including me.
Today, it starts with me. Tomorrow, you. And then, the world.
