cruelty-free

cruelty (noun)
1. a cruel act; a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering.
2. feelings of extreme heartlessness.
3. the quality of being cruel and causing tension or annoyance.


Kids are (sometimes) cruel.
People who love you can (sometimes) be cruel.
Life (sometimes) deals cruel blows.

I am acutely aware of, awash with, overwhelmed with, the cruelty floating around in the world. Please understand, I am infinitely blessed in many ways: dear family, beautiful friends, an amazing love, intelligence, education, a strong career, a city I love, the ability to enjoy the gifts urban life bestows.

But I don't like the taint cruelty leaves on a life so rich.

I hate that kids are cruel to my daughter, who is dear and imaginative and creative and beautiful. I hate that the world squelches 4-year-old creativity with conformity.

I hate watching people I love suffer through cruelty at the hands of another selfish human. I don't hate supporting them -- I love it. I love being there, I want to be the shoulder anyone feels they can lean on -- that's part of being the Essential Sarah. But it breaks my heart to know that someone I love, hurts too.

I hate injustice, and mixed emotions, and cruel things outside my control. I know life sometimes sucks. Believe me, I get that. But somehow, it doesn't make it much easier. I know we can't be happy all the time. I know crisis exists. I know hardships exist to make us stronger, to temper us in the fire. What I don't like is just being there... I want to make it better, to move through it, to get back to happy.

Maybe that's what makes me good in crisis situations.
But it still makes me long for a world I could call cruelty-free.