I'm running out of words for this year and I never thought that would be possible. I never would have guessed this is where we would be. Here. Smack dab amongst the chaos and fighting.

Sis, I'm tired. I'm exhausted both mentally and physically. Some days it's hard to hear myself think. It's hard to drown out the noise when this world has become a shouting match. A volatile place of opinions and disagreements.

And in it, hidden behind the exhaustion and worry; behind the disheveled mess and tired eyes, there's just me, a woman.

A mother. A daughter. A friend. A co-worker. Neighbor and advocate.

Trying to navigate these uncharted waters as best I can. Trying to piece together some semblance of "normal" for my family and my child.

And if I'm being honest, some days it's hard. Some days I want to crawl back under the covers and fast forward to a new year. I miss connection and togetherness. Laughter and smiles on the faces of strangers.

I miss LOVE. Unity.

I know you are tired, I am too. But let's not be too tired to show love. Kindness. Compassion.

The person in front of you at Starbucks, she's human. No matter what line she stands on or where she is in her faith or her journey. She's real. Maybe she's had a hard day. Did you see her?

The man pumping gas at the gas station, maybe he just lost his job or maybe he's working two jobs to make ends meet for his family. He's tired. Emotionally tense. Did you see him?

Everyday we have an opportunity to be light; to be love. We get slivers of time to make an impact, to turn someone's bad day into a good one by one gesture. One smile. One conversation, we can offer - hope.

Hope in one another.

I know the world is noisy, but the one thing that combats noise - it's togetherness. It's a hand. A smile. A moment that says, I see you. You matter. In a world that's divided, don't be afraid to cross the line and offer up love. It just might change the trajectory of someone's day and if we're lucky, the world.