What the world needs more of

Today I went for lunch with a former coworker. He was literally passing through my city as we only got to catch up for an hour. Much to my surprise, he showed up with a hitchhiker! (Yes, it’s still 2016.) My friend was making a solo trip from Calgary to Winnipeg. He is that kind of guy who didn’t mind picking up a kid who looked decent enough to keep him company on the drive home.

The hitchhiker was a British student who was in Canada for the past year for a study abroad program. He was working his way from BC to Toronto to fly home to the UK. He shared his hitchhiking tips and a few humourous moments from his journey so far.

I told him that as a woman I would have never dreamed of hitchhiking. It just isn’t an option for me. I’ve had too much fear driven into me about why NOT to hitchhike to ever consider it. My closest experience was catching a ride home from the bar with a friend of a friend.

As a mother, I’d be petrified to hear my son was attempting to cross half of Canada based on the good will of random strangers. But isn’t that what the world needs more of?

Both of these guys have many qualities – determination, honesty, trust, compassion – that I admire and hope that my son will also have.

Today’s experience reminded me that we have a long ways to go as a society. There’s been so much tragedy lately. Honestly, I have been disengaged from it on purpose. As an empath, there’s just too much energy floating around for me. We need to away from hate and violence. We need to focus on love.

When Wyatt grows up, I want him to see our beautiful country and not be afraid of what he may find on that journey.

I just hope that we can get there. ❤