What Would Love Do?

Yesterday was a long day of travel. It started off smoothly enough, but my connecting flight got delayed. At first, it seemed like we'd only be an hour late instead of the two hours we were told to expect. But then, we were stuck on the tarmac, dealing with a maintenance issue. And, of course, the air conditioning wasn’t working. It was hot, stuffy, and I could feel my patience slipping.

As I sat there, growing increasingly cranky, I asked myself, “What would love do?”

The answers came in waves, some clearer than others:

• Eat the chocolate muffin. Tempting but not my best choice.
• Write my weekly Monday Mojo.
• Chat with the gentleman next to me.
• Meditate, text CrisMarie, or simply ask for help.

That question shifted something in me. It wasn’t just helpful in that moment on the plane, but it's been guiding me recently in more complex areas of life—especially with how I feel about politics.

Politics frustrates me. I just want people to talk to each other, but lately, that feels impossible. Conversations only seem to happen if everyone agrees, and trying to talk across the political divide seems almost too much to ask.

Some of my friends tell me we should just let people vote privately and hope, in the end, they'll vote from a place of love rather than fear or hate. Maybe that's true, but it leaves me wondering—is that enough?

Watching the Vice Presidential debate the other night, I heard one of the candidates say, “We agreed no fact-checking.” Really? Is that what we’ve come to—where the best liar wins??

Then I hear people say things like, “I don’t care much for his behavior, but I like his policies on the economy.”? I wonder, does character no longer matter? Is it really okay to tolerate bad behavior, even hate,? just because of policy preferences? What values are we standing for?

I even have friends who think Kamala Harris should be more aggressive, that she should “attack” more. And I’m left thinking—does it really not matter what’s true or what’s not anymore? Does character in politics hold no weight?

It’s discouraging, to be honest. If this type of behavior is sanctioned in politics, it’s going to become a thread in the entire fabric of our country–at work, in relationships, and in life. That doesn’t bode well. I don’t want that. So I keep coming back to the same question: “What would love do?”

We’re such a big country, diverse in every sense—geographically, racially, socio-economical, spiritually. We have so many different dreams, struggles, and needs. On Election Day, some people will feel like they’ve won, but if we can’t learn to listen, to care for one another, to talk about our differences and share our joys and pains—then, truly, we all lose.

We need to do better. We need to ask more often, “What would love do?”

So this week, both at work and in my life, I’m challenging myself —and maybe you can too—to talk to someone who sees things differently.?

Ask, why it's so important to them that:

• Trump or Harris wins?
• Their project has to take priority over yours?
• You have to take out the garbage right now?

Go deeper in your questions. Listen, really listen—with your heart, not just your head. Resist the urge to react or judge.

We’re incredibly fortunate to live in this country, but we must rise above the hate and righteousness that can so easily divide us. This week, I’m experimenting. I’m going to keep asking, “What would love do?” to guide my choices.