You may have been triggered before.

Hearing the term "all lives matter."

It's understandable. There's many things going on in our world that are deeply upsetting. Every day, not a minute passes there isn't an injustice crime, a person being mistreated, a women taken advantage of, a child going to bed hungry, someone being profiled—for their race and religion—or murderers, thieves, and robbers consuming our cities and towns. On top of that, people having political advantages over the next, certain countries being more powerful, different economies richer, empires safer than others, less suffering, more potential, higher rewards, and grander benefits.

          Then, of course, as you probably assumed would be brought up, the advantages specific people have over others because of their skin. The cultures they were born in to, and may never truly experience the luxuries of the man standing next to him. It seems like every day, with our access to social media, or even the news broadcast, there's yet another story of the disadvantaged. Whether we are affected by them or not, no matter how hard we block it out, these tragedies will always be a part of our world, and we must accept that.

          So again, it's very understandable to be hurt by these injustices.

          However. That's not what this story is about. Rather, I want to shed light on the lives we DON'T talk about. The lives that stand by us each and every day, without us even realizing.

          First off, let's acknowledge the lives that we still consider part of us. How about the loving family dog. He starts our day off perfect, jumping in our bed in the morning, waking us up with licks and kisses. After going through our morning routine, we usually feed him and go for a walk, often to the park to connect with others, or maybe the lagoon to chase after geese. He sits in our lap while watching TV, wags his tail joyfully when petting him, and does tricks for us earning a yummy treat. Simply, he is our best friend, and nobody can replace him.

          Let's think about our grandmother's cat, the same one we see every Sunday afternoon while visiting her. She circles around our legs with her soft
fur, kindly greeting us by purring warmly. She meows peacefully everywhere that we go, chasing the annoying rodents scurrying around in the backyard, and loves it more than life itself when you scratch her whiskers. She climbs the top of the roof, hides all over the house, and finds herself in the most bizarre places.

          The list of pets goes on: perhaps a fish, maybe a bird, or possibly even a lizard. Of course, as they are within our everyday existence, their lives most certainly matter. We acknowledge them, feed them, and show our up-most appreciation as they grow along with us.

          Now, moving down the "scale," we have other lives that still "matter," but wouldn't be consider a so-called pet. Maybe a bear passing in the forest, roaming around with their cubs. A squirrel climbing along a fence, nibbling on an Acorn. Flocks of birds soaring in the sky, flying south for the winter, shaping the letter "V." Families of raccoons wandering around in the night, eyes peeking out curiously. Maybe an innocent fox walking through a hazy field, looking for a hardy meal.

Let's not forget about the lives that don't live upon land with us, but rather nurture one another in the deep blue oceans of the sea. An innocent otter searching blissfully for a meal, rising to the surface for breath. Or a school of salmon fighting up the river to lay their eggs, turning to a hatchery. A whale jumping out of the water profoundly, crashing back down and causing a ripple of echoing waves. The dolphins speeding by together, soaring through the air like torpedos. The turtles hiding in their shells, racing towards the ocean to avoid predators. The self-perceived great-white shark—no matter how intimidating he may appear—just trying to get through life like us.

          Though as we gaze deeper into the mind, thinking with a more open perspective, we realize there are so many more lives that matter. Those including, who may startle us at first glance. Maybe you've come across a small, fragile skunk, just minding their business, going about the day. But still, once we see one passing by, all we can do is mourn with disgust, doing everything we can to avoid the little critter. Think of it, do you really feel we're scared of them, or the other way around?

          How about a little mouse, or even worse, a rat, squeaking through your apartment, the same one you plant poison and hire specialists to kill. Think of the spider living in the corner at your office, the same one every co-worker shames. Perhaps, depending on where you live, there may be a snake swirling in the distance—where understandably you'd probably feel intimidated—due to its dangerous size or possible lethal venom. Or, even scarier, you could be going for a peaceful hike with family, to which you spot an aggressive mountain lion slowly hunting you down in the distance.

          These are all valid reasons to be fearful of these lives, but do we truly understand them? The things they go through—what they do just to survive.

          What about an annoying little mole, the same one ruining your backyard every time you mow the beautiful green lawn to near-perfection. Or a bat hiding upside down in the dark, spooking you when opening the wooden shed. An infestation of cockroaches under a piece of rotting plywood while ripping apart the front deck. What if you found out there were little families of lice scurrying around in your hair while getting a trim at the barber? Or an infection of bacteria growing in your mouth, only brought to your attention by an unfortunate trip to the dentist.

          Again, these are all things we naturally fear, and rightfully so. From a young age, practically by the time we learn right from wrong, we've already adapted the mindset from society that certain things are not acceptable. Once these thoughts are engraved in the way our brain processes them, especially in early adolescence, it's very difficult to reshape our belief system. So in reality, it makes perfect sense that some lives are not accepted as others. Certain creatures or living organisms that do not fit the criteria we've constructed over the span of humanity.

          Better yet, what about the lives that grow with us each day we forget about? The tree in your front yard, shaping in size over the decades, the leaves falling and growing each season. The grass on the golf course beside the mountain, turning different colours over the year. The variety of fruits blending in on the vine upon your mother's garden. The moss in the forest blending in along the fallen debris. The fungus growing over the mushrooms in the meadow. The flowers blooming blissfully in the spring sunshine. The plants slowly growing from the seed they once sprung, turning in the earthy soil. Even the air we inhale to our lungs, blessing us with the beauty of life itself.

          Prehistorically, let's acknowledge the lives that walked our earth before us. The cavemen who fought just to survive, running around with wooden spears, skinning any animal to digest a meal. The woolly mammoth, impersonating the modern-day elephant, stomping around with thousands of tons and fur. A saber-toothed tiger hunting down its lingering prey with carved jaws. Ancient creatures that would make those of today look like furry stuffed animals.

          Going ever farther back, we cannot forget the lives of our infamous dinosaurs. Once dominating the animal kingdom, while nobody debated, was the ominous Tyrannosaurus rex, terrifying anyone within his powered presence. Velociraptors skipped across their territory like kids playing hop scotch on the schoolyard playground. Brachiosaurus roamed around in the peachy field, stretching their long necks out like a giraffe reaching the tallest tree tops.

          Back in those same oceans, millions of years ago, lived even larger, more powerful creatures. Beasts that would snap a whale in half, leaving forgotten clues for us to solve today. A prehistoric battlefield created for only the strongest to survive.

          Last but not least, whether we believe in them or not, fact or fiction, we cannot forget about the external lives beyond our universe. The planets that circle our solar system, regardless if they're inhabited. The moon we took a chance landing on, despite all the unknown consequences to mankind. The stars aligning throughout our galaxies, gazing upon the night's sky. The comets and shooting stars chasing after one another, passing by at lightyears per second. Along with so much to uncover, and we never fully will.

          And the creator of it all—with none of this being possible without him—God, himself.

          And there it is. Maybe you still feel the same as you did before reading this. Perhaps I was unable to convince you otherwise on this possibly controversial view point, and you still find this to be a demeaning, bigoted term. Though I'm okay with that, only wishing to maybe broaden your perspective, teach you a different way of thinking, and bring awareness to a highly sensitive topic that's held weight in our world and divided us for generations to come.

          So, yes...

          I may have triggered you...

          Because all lives matter.