As a reporter, I get a lot of messages on social media. Usually, they're about stories that I've done. Sometimes they're nice, sometimes they're not so nice.
But the one that I've received the most messages about by far is this one.
It was Father's Day 2017, which just so happened to be my first Father's Day since my dad passed away. I felt moved to share my experiences during his last few days alive and how I had found it very hard to put into words how much he meant to me. I had almost missed the chance to tell him in person, so I wanted to encourage other people to not wait for the last moments to tell loved ones how appreciated they are. I hoped by sharing I could inspire at least one person watching.
I had no idea, though, how much it would end up changing my life in a really profound way.
First of all, I just need to say thank you to everyone who wrote to me because it really did directly help me with the grieving process. Between social media messages, letters, phone calls and conversations with people out in the community, I've probably heard from thousands of you as you've shared your own experiences with losing loved ones. This has be invaluable. Last year was rough, but hearing from so many people and getting so many words of support really did make a huge impact on me, and it helped me to feel more calm with everything that was happening. Thank you very much for that.
It's also been a huge life lesson for me. As we scroll through social media today, I think it's really easy to get caught up in all the arguments. It has a way of highlighting the divisions and disagreements. The larger lesson for me through this, though, is that we really are not all that different. We go through a lot of the same things. We all know what it's like to feel happy and to feel sad. We all know what's like to love someone and, unfortunately, most of us know what it's like to lose someone we love, too.
Remembering that we all have these shared experiences is really important as we work to heal the divisions in our society, I think. It's a lot harder to see one another as the enemy when we remember that we have so many shared experiences, and that we all have the same ultimate goals in life.
My goal moving forward is to be more open and vulnerable in all of my experiences. Sharing my reflection last year ended up being the source of so much healing and insight, and it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. Yes, there are nasty comments and rejection waiting for everyone in life, but they don't hold a candle to the warmth and acceptance also waiting. The highs are higher than the lows are low. It's worth it to share.
Oh, and by the way, I have yet to receive ONE mean response to my Father's Day video (something I didn't know was possible, given my experience with most content).
So, thank you so much to everyone who reached out to me, and maybe you'll join me in my challenge to be open and vulnerable, too.