Be nurturing

To the editor:

As I see it, what brings us together is our natural need to be nurturers of each other and of our Earth.

Instead of tearing away at each other’s beliefs, we need to be tolerant. We don’t have to agree, but we do have to listen and share our beliefs through civil dialogue.

People need to be heard, not silenced. I, too, believe that love trumps hate. We must speak truth to power, and allow for ideas new and old to have a voice.

There are ways to foster and grow nurturing behavior. I have defined nurturing behavior in nine ways:

• Being able to share the attention of others.
• Developing eye contact with others.
• Learning to smile at others.
• Learning to gain the attention of others in positive ways.
• Being helpful to others.
• Developing responsible behavior.
• Learning to compliment rather than criticize each other.
• Showing tolerance for others and their differences.
• Being able to express sorrow when actions or words have hurt another.

Karen Green