Even a small child knows when he does something wrong. We adults know right from wrong; when we are being kind or being revengeful; being hurtful or being loving.

Oftentimes, we go to funerals or memorial services and say many wonderful and healing words about the person who has passed. We tell friends and family about the deceased, much of it truth and some flattery.

If only we had said and done those things for that person while he or she was alive.

We are guilty of seeking justice, but what we really need is mercy. If any of us got what we deserved by our actions, done openly or secretly, we could face prison or, at the least, great ridicule.

We all have the power and strength to make a difference in the space we occupy at any given time. Let’s make it better.

If not for our own sake, but for the sake of those whose lives were snuffed out by gunfire at a school, on the streets, at a movie, at a house, a mall, in a church, a mosque or by their own hand.

Nira O’Connor

Augusta