"My wife’s the reason anything gets done
She nudges me towards promise by degrees
She is a perfect symphony of one
Our son is her most beautiful reprise.
We chase the melodies that seem to find us
Until they’re finished songs and start to play
When senseless acts of tragedy remind us
That nothing here is promised, not one day.
This show is proof that history remembers
We lived through times when hate and fear seemed stronger;
We rise and fall and light from dying embers, remembrances that hope and love last longer
And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside.
I sing Vanessa’s symphony, Eliza tells her story
Now fill the world with music, love and pride."
-Lin-Manuel Miranda
Miranda spoke these words during a Tony Awards acceptance speech following the massacre that occurred in Orlando, Florida, but the overall message of this sonnet is one our nation desperately needs to embrace.
Whether people are discussing the brutality being faced by an entire race, the injustices formed against those with different sexual orientations, the rights of weaponry, or the overall fate of the country, every single citizen plays a role in society's current conversation. And every single citizen needs to remember what ultimately rules in these times:
"We lived through times when hate and fear seemed stronger; We rise and fall and light from dying embers, remembrances that hope and love last longer."
Terrible things are happening in our country. In our world. Things that make us grieve for those we have never met. Things that make our heart heavy with the inability to understand why such things happen. And why such things happen constantly.
And when these things happen, it can be easy to shout words of hate. To place blame. And to make excuses. Because it is in fact easier to do so.
But as Miranda spoke, our country has lived through countless periods of time in which hate reigned. In which hate took control. But even when hate did seem stronger, love found a way to become an influence. The smallest voice can bring about big change. And when enough people rise up and decide to spread love together, hope is grown. And people see that this love and this hope is what society needs.
People do not respond to shouts. And riots. People respond when voices come together to speak of the real dangers fellow citizens are facing. When they help others to see the truth about brutalities and injustices.
It's easier to be angry. To shout. To point fingers. To address the grief by saying, "I hate you." But better things, things the nation needs, happen when there is genuine love and compassion behind movements.
The nation doesn't need hate. The world doesn't need hate. It needs love. Because love prevails. It cannot be killed. It cannot be swept aside. Love can move mountains. And encourage change. Love can inspire. And grow. Love is what happens when people decide to work together to fight for those who find it difficult to fight for themselves.
Tragedies happen. They happen every day. And we cannot understand why they happen. But we can help each other through the grieving process. Everything can change in mere seconds. We are not promised tomorrow. We are not promised another hug with the ones we care most about. But we are promised love. We are promised constant love.
We need to stop shouting hate and start spreading love. When we realize that love truly can conquer all, that is when we can make a change.
