Hey guys! I feel like I need to apologize, I sort of vanished. After hearing about Martin, I just couldn’t force myself to get online. There are horrible things happening in the world right now and blogging about hair tutorials and cute outfits just felt… well, it felt trivial. It felt wrong and vain and I just couldn’t seem to find my voice. I was so inspired by Ashley from the Shine Project’s post yesterday – if you haven’t read it, you need to.
“We have the choice to allow evil to creep in, to make us afraid, to instill feelings of hate and anxiety in our hearts…
or…
we have the choice to be happy.”
She goes onto say, “…we must not feel guilty or ashamed for the happiness and light we carry around with us. Not today, not ever.”
After reading her post, I realized I was feeling guilty and ashamed for being happy. I felt guilty for having a healthy family, a good marriage, a happy home and it felt wrong sharing that. But that’s exactly what we need to do. We must all use our light, our goodness, our love and our power to spread joy and happiness so that we might dispel the darkness. My heart aches for those in Orlando, for the millions of refugees fighting for a home, for Christina Grimmie and her family, and for the Meyers. For those struggling with infertility, with divorce, with the loss of a loved one. These horrible things instill anxiety, they provoke fear and, if we let it consume us, if we focus on the fear and the hate, we’re allowing evil to creep in.
So like Ashley, I will try to fight the evil. I will try with all my might to stand up to it and to make every effort I can to carry around and spread my light to those that might need it. I’m gonna keep coming back. And I’m going to share what I love and share what makes me happy and hopefully it will make you happy too. Hopefully it will inspire you to share what you love with others and hopefully that happiness can swell in the hearts of those who need it. Who might need that extra bit of courage to keep moving forward.
TOP: hinge flutter top sold out. Similar here, here, here, and here! Ha ha! | Jeans: Gap | Sandals: Sole Society sold out. Similar here, here and here | Bag: Sole Society, similar here and here | Necklace: c/o Bip and Bop + Made By Mary | Watch: Michael Kors | Rings: Wanderlust Co | Midi Rings: American Eagle | Bracelets: Wanderlust (my favorite!) + American Eagle
Abby, I too wonder how so many horrible things can happen to such beautiful people in such a beautiful World but your words the other week regards the Meyers family really made me stop and think and it’s played on my mind since! I took part in a Race for Life in a beautiful park in our city this past Sunday, it was a race in which all money goes towards the fight against Cancer, Cancer Research UK, we were all sponsored and had a chance to put a sign on our backs to say who we were doing it for! So I did it in support of Martins struggle and I had the #HopeForMartin as my sign and I was asked who he was and I told them about the blog you’d written! If it weren’t for the blogs you write I wouldn’t have been able to support him in my own small way over here in England! All your blogs are so enjoyable and together we need to continue the positivity that helps make this World a better place!,
Abby I share the same guilt sometimes. How can one person have so much and another have so little? The world is a bit twisted at times and all we can do is our best and hang on for the ride. I personally look forward to your snap story every night, the fun happy things are what I want to read on the Internet…I will live through you at times, with you at times, and need at other times! Xoxo
Can we be friends? This was a great blog post and I am sure that your friend Emily appreciates your light in the world during her darkness. God wants us to be a light in this world and to help those who might not see the light at this very moment. Keep doing what you’re doing Abby.
~Nicole
Your skin looks great! How have you kept it so clear?!
You are beautiful inside and out. I love your blog and everything it stands for. Thank you for sharing good things in life and showing us a world as it should be. Away from the things that damage this earth, there is a a light that blossoms and hopefully one day soon everybody will be able to share and nurture that light too.
You put this into words so well. I feel the same way sometimes, that I can’t show any happiness or joy when bad things are going on around me. That out of respect I should be sad. But you are so right, how we feel is our choice. And if we ever want to see more positivity in the world then we need to help spread that positivity and light! I love you blog and am always happy to see moments of goodness and inspiration you have to share with the world!