Hannah Aubry

I was recently asked, “What did you learn during the pandemic?”

I said perseverance through grief—there has been so much senseless tragedy on a macro scale, and in my own life and the lives of people close to me—the shields I've built to protect my heart deploy with a hair trigger. But as I've reflected, I realized that is not the most important thing I learned. That's just what I had to do to survive, and everyone deserves to grieve in the way that gets them through it. (As long as they don't harm others.)

As I reflect on these tragic times, the bright moments, the beacons that give me hope, are the people. The people who spare a moment for kindness, lead with curiosity and lend a helping hand when others need it. Those people make the world better for everyone.

So, the most important thing I've learned (so far) is to choose kindness. Because what we think we know about other people and our impressions of people can be horribly wrong. People are so good at compartmentalizing, hiding, or ignoring stuff. You never know what's happening in someone else's life.

So, I have learned to choose kindness because it doesn't cost anything, and it's priceless. It can change someone's day, month, or life trajectory.

And because it's my mission to leave this world better than I found it, I'll say this. We're not going to build a better world by doing big or little violences to each other. Bullying is not how we win.

We do it by creating more kindness. Kindness towards the planet, to each other, and to ourselves.

And at the end of the day, I choose kindness because I'd rather lose than live with regret. Because the only kind of power worth striving for is power over yourself.

Thanks to the friends who have helped me along the way. You've helped make me the person I am today.

And I love myself.

Now go sit in the shade of a tree you planted — you deserve it.