Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! This is the only federal holiday that is named after one person. MLK Jr. was an amazing humanitarian, a civil rights icon, and an activist who centered his entire fight around peace and non-violence. Every year I post a different quote by King that inspires me even though the, “I have a dream” quote is still my favorite. This year’s quote is:

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today, perhaps we can try to adopt King’s vision of loving more and hating less. Give hate some thought this morning. Are you hating a specific person or a group? Before you say, “No,” give it a little more thought. Is it Democrats or Republicans? Is it an ex or your boss? Is it a religion or a sexual preference? Hate is one of humanity’s most primal and destructive emotions. People are different but we get to decide how we will handle this difference. Hate is absolutely one choice, but so is acceptance, tolerance, understanding, sympathy, and love. King was right, hate is the burden we carry and it’s heavy. Love is a lot lighter. 

With Gratitude,
Beth