"teach us tolerance and love." -mabel gabbott

by Taryn Hartwell-Lewis

Quoted above are lyrics from a hymn called "In Humility, Our Savior." This hymn has held a special place in my heart ever since my sisters and I sang it at my grandpa’s funeral back in 2015. But it wasn’t until I sang it this Sunday in church that the line, “teach us tolerance and love” stood out so profoundly to me.

My grandpa, Wally, was someone who was an example of these ideals to me. He was always quietly serving others. He showed so much love and was loved so much by everyone around him.

I was blessed to have a very close relationship with my grandpa. I stopped by to chat with him almost every day and met him for lunch dates with my grandma at least once a week. We laughed together and talked about so many things. One thing we spoke about often during his last few years was politics. I was in college getting my degree in journalism, so the news was very much central to my studies. Politics was not something we agreed about at all. And that was ok. It didn’t negatively affect our relationship or make us any less close.

I loved him just as much after our political “debates” and I think it’s safe to say he probably felt the same towards me. To this day, many of my favorite people, who I love to chat with and spend the most time with, aren’t aligned with me politically. And again, it is ok.

I started The Be Kind Company because I think that teaching my children to be kind is my most important responsibility as their mother. As a politics-heavy election season approaches, I would like to add the importance of tolerance and love to my mission statement. I have heard my mom talk about her parents, and how one of them was a republican and the other democrat. Regardless of that difference, they had a happy home and loved each other. I know America can be that way again. It is up to all of us to instill the qualities of kindness, tolerance and love into our society, neighborhoods, and homes. I believe if we start with kindness; towards ourselves, loved ones, and others we interact with day-to-day, our world will be a better place.