I’ve consumed so much news over the past couple of weeks ’til I’m stuffed with noise. I’ve had to take a break and walk away from it all. I spent time in my office today. I played the piano. I wrote. I tried to create. I took care of myself because none of us can take of the world all by our little selves.

I might be wrong about this whole political thing. I probably am. I’d say that most of us are probably wrong on some level.

We all just want to live peaceful lives, but we each have different opinions and beliefs on how to achieve the same goal. In our differences, we’re ripping one another apart with degrading names. We’re silencing each other and upping the ante anytime someone of the opposing party speaks louder than us. We’re holding on to our politics so tightly that we’re willing to let go of friends. In the end (heck, even in four years), will any of it matter?

I believe we have an obligation to use our voices, especially to speak up for those who can’t. And I think we ought to hold to our values and beliefs and do what we think necessary to live by them. But it’s not necessary to push our values and beliefs onto others. It is, however, necessary to be kind and gracious. I’ll be the first to say I’ve had a hard time being kind and gracious in the midst of the nasty political climate we find ourselves in. I find it difficult to balance speaking up and listening; yet, balance is what we need right now. Heaven knows, we’re not finding much of it in our political leaders. For the sake of our sanity and for the sake of maintaining the relationships we cherish, we must find balance.

For many (not all) of our leaders, politics is a game, and at the end of the day, it’s about who wins. But we—the people who depend on them to make decisions concerning our healthcare, our jobs, our economy, our freedoms—all lose at their expense when we let the game tear us apart.

Today, I read about a 17-year-old boy who was shot and killed after school on Tuesday. Yesterday, I heard about someone who’s trying to survive after leaving an abusive spouse. The political circus that has us constantly jumping from one act to another can’t even begin to compare with the heartbreaking tragedies happening in our cities and neighborhoods and schools. It is our responsibility to be wise about what we give our undivided attention to. I haven’t been wise lately, but I’m making a concerted effort to change that.