In today's world, we all see an abundance of negative news about each other. Whether it be viral videos of people screaming at workers or more serious issues surrounding COVID-19, it is often heard that people have "lost their faith in humanity." The purpose of this blog is to be a frequent reminder that humanity is beautiful and to point out some amazing things that we have done.
My very first blog post will discuss one of my all-time favorite stories, The Christmas Truce. It was 1914 and World War I was in full swing. This war was one of America's most brutal as it took millions of lives and is best known for the use of trench warfare, which had soldiers living and fighting out of trenches. It was abysmal and men were pretty much willing to do anything to get out of it.
On Christmas Eve of 1914, something strange and still not quite understood happened. Covered in mud and grime, the American soldiers heard the German soldiers singing Christmas carols and put down their weapons. A brave British soldier climbed out of the trench to embrace another brave German soldier and the truce began. For an entire day, men all across the front lines stopped fighting to sing, play soccer, and celebrate Christmas. It is reported that some truces lasted for several days.
I am sad to report that this story doesn't have a happy ending. The war went back the next day, and millions lost their lives over the next 3 1/2 years. However, I still am obsessed with this story because of the accounts of the soldiers who lived it. One recall of the event was that "everything was so quiet it felt like a dream." There is such a valuable lesson to be learned from these soldiers: loving each other is possible no matter what. These men were literally trying to kill each other and were still able to celebrate Christmas as a family.
The picture above is a memorial to decorate one of the truest forms of humanity documented in our history. Even in the darkest of years, there was still a beacon of light that love for our fellow humans can conquer all.
I wanted to start this blog off by sharing this story because I think it is one of the most magical points in history. Amidst the carnage that was World War I, the humans behind the weapons agreed that they wanted to spend Christmas in peace. It is a demonstration of love and humanity during one of the darkest times in history.
I think this event can serve as an important reminder to us all. If the men who fought in this war could love each other like brothers for Christmas, then we can surely find the strength to forgive the person who cut us off in traffic and hug the coworker that we can't stand. The story serves as a reminder for me that we are all human beings at the end of the day, and I hope it can do the same for you.
If you want to learn more about this event, I highly recommend watching this video.
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