Be positive… no matter what!!

I have spent the last two+ years trying to find a positive in a very not-positive situation. I want to feel the good and am very saddened by how people are responding to things just because they have a different opinion, especially on social media! I give presentations and tell my audience to THINK before posting anything on social media. This stands for True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind!! I would love it if everyone did that!!

It’s December and with so many reasons to be grateful and kind, I am amazed at how many cling to the negative! They believe fake news because they want it to be true and disrespect people for no other reason than their point of view! I am not referring to defending yourself or your beliefs, which validates my point of there being so much negative out there. I am referring to the negative connotations of peoples’ actions and words!! It’s sad! Spin the positive, people!! If you don’t like someone or something, focus on the things you do like and leave the rest alone!

Just the other day, I watched an episode of “Hot Bench” with a lawsuit over a Facebook post! Guess what!!?!! The plaintiff won! The defendant had slandered his name and made false accusations in the comments of a post on Facebook!! It doesn’t matter who you are, what you put out on social media can hurt people! Facebook does not have a privacy button. What others see and read on there is not an invasion of privacy and can be shared and/or seen by many. It can be a very helpful and useful tool, but can also destroy a person.

One of my biggest pet peeves is the one who loves to spread bad news. Some thrive on it. I don’t get that. It’s one thing to let people know someone has died or is hurt. I believe in the power of prayer. That gives us a chance to pray for them. This is why my original Facebook post about the passing of my son being shared 400 times and laced with over 1000 emojis of thumbs up/hearts/sad faces did not bother me but actually gave me strength. Those emojis included thoughts and prayers. Nothing malicious about it. But an article with fake news that is not investigated, challenged, or corrected and is shared 100,000x because people want to believe it because it validates their negatives thoughts can be dangerous, if not destructive.

I wish we could go back to how we treated each other in the days that followed 9-11-01. We were a united nation. We didn’t look at religion, race, or political choice as a deciding factor of whether we would help our neighbor. We spoke to strangers in the store. We cried for those we had never met and rallied together. No bias. No political divide. Why do we have to go through a major thing like a terrorist attack to be nice to each other. Think of where we would be today if we had maintained that same attitude and respect over the last 18 years!!

It’s almost Christmas. I am trying to find the positives. I am trying to be happy for all those that still get to take family photos without missing family members. I am trying to remember past Christmas’ where we wished strangers shopping a “very Merry Christmas” as we left a store. We cannot get back yesterday any more than we can take back harsh words once they have been spoken. T-H-I-N-K before you speak, share an article or news item if you don’t know its truth, and before you post anything negative. It is one thing to be informed. It is another to spread misinformation or promote a negative vibe.

For many, Christmas is the hardest holiday to get through. Spin the positives! Share good things! Speak to strangers. Pray for our country, leaders, and those who are struggling. We have much to be grateful for that we overlook constantly until we no longer have it in our grasps. Be kind! We all have battles others know nothing about.

As I remember Christmas’ past, I look to the future and remember that first Christmas after I lost my son, thinking this is the darkest I had ever felt, and the ray of sunshine that came through when my daughter told me she was expecting another child! It really was a Christmas miracle and proof that life will move forward. I am spinning the positives knowing I still have family, here next to me and in Heaven!! I have been blessed!! As always, I cry because they are gone, but I smile because they were here!!

#itsalmostchristmas #spinthepositives #iamnotperfect #thedashinthemiddle

Author: Christina Herold Trueblood

My name is Christina Trueblood. I am married and live in Central Illinois and am the mother of two, a daughter and son. Unfortunately, I lost my son in August 2017 in a single vehicle truck accident a couple of miles from our home. He was 24. I have documented some of my story on Facebook over this first year and have been encouraged to start a blog. I hope to help other families who have gone through loss and struggle to make any sense of it. My faith has kept me going and I believe one day, we will meet those loved ones we have lost again and it will be as if no time has passed. Until then, I want to honor their lives and know they left a mark on my life! Please follow me and share your stories. View all posts by Christina Herold Trueblood