As a child, my parents used to get mad at me for talking to everyone I met. Whether it was a stranger at a grocery store or a new kid at the park, I saw a friend in everyone. At a young age, I believed everyone had such a cool story and I wanted to hear it. My parents would say, “She could make a friend out of the devil.”

I feel like we all start out that way. Why is it that as young children we can find a friend in everyone? We never care what they look like or where they come from. We never ask the hard questions, we just play together and love each other because, in our young minds, that is what you’re supposed to do.

I was raised to love, without boundaries, without questions, and without hesitation.

Even as I get older and the world gets harder, more dangerous, and scarier, I still choose to do that. I choose to continue to love. Why does that fade? Why have we stopped loving each other regardless of certain characteristics about them?

The tragedies that have occurred over the past few years are truly heartbreaking. There is a new story every day that seems to just be fueled by more violence and hate in the world.

I was raised that people are people. People are not their labels. People should be celebrated for who they are, what makes them that way, and what they offer rather than what they identify as.

We need to start embracing the differences in each other and that requires one simple concept: more LOVE.

We can post all day on social media about what needs to change in the world, we can talk amongst our friends about how hate-filled the world is turning into, but there is no action in that.

We have to start SHOWING love. We have to start loving. Wholeheartedly. Firmly. Just like we did as children when we did things simply because we wanted to be nice and make friends. We didn’t ask questions and wonder if someone deserved love, we just knew they did.

Loving each other is simple. We need to love those like us and those that are not. It doesn’t have to be complicated; it can be simple. It doesn’t have to be big; it just has to be real.

We will change things if we love others regardless of the differences that stand between us.

Loving is looking over what separates you and choosing to embrace it, for everyone is different and that is what makes us who we are.

Love a stranger like your neighbor and vice versa. Love is a strong force and can be used to put out the biggest of fires. Whether we love one person or one hundred, every act of love is another step closer to overcoming the hate and violence taking over our country.

Join me in choosing love in a time of darkness. Join me in loving without boundaries. Join me in loving those who feel like they don’t deserve love.

Choose love, always. It can change things.