Content Warning: Mentions of war, destruction, and genocide

The last time I queued up Rogue Prince of Persia, something hit me that I wasn't expecting. It was my first time streaming it since they updated the art style. The world felt more filled in, more vivid, and more reflective of the atrocities happening to the people in the game.

And it was hard for me to not draw parallels to what's happening in the real world. For the majority of the last year and a half, I've watched the decimation and genocide being committed against my global neighbors. I've seen videos and photos of people dying, things that will haunt my soul for the rest of my days.

The updated art and environment in Rogue Prince really made the deceased Persians stand out to me. As I ran and vaulted my way through the first area, my eyes kept being drawn to the people I was far too late to save. I saw the rubble of residential buildings, of universities and libraries, of gardens. I saw them turned to ruin. And it felt like too much.

Every failed attempt to push back the Hun forces was a reminder of just how little I was accomplishing. The foes were too great. The devastation too final. Yet, every time, the Prince goes right back in time and rushes toward another attempt to save his people, to have the chance to rebuild. His hope carried him through every failure.

It's the kind of hope, of determination, of resilience I need to have, that we need to have, for the coming days. Every day won't feel like a win. Most days might not feel good at all. But every day, every attempt, gives us the chance to learn how to be just a lil bit more effective, just a lil bit scrappier until we see the end of our part in the fight. We have already lost so many, the destruction is already so great, and more destruction will likely come.

But for us? Every breath. Every smile. Every conflict is an opportunity to learn a piece that will help turn the tide of the fight.

I'm not sure that I'll return to the Rogue Prince of Persia soon. The real world's heaviness is a lil too much for me to engage with that game right now. But I know I'll carry the thoughts it inspired and try to learn something every day. And, like the Prince, I'll focus on the people who I can still help instead of drowning in the knowledge of how many we've already lost.

It's my desire to end on a hopeful note, and while I still believe that we have a chance to create a world where we can thrive, it's going to be a difficult time getting to that world. I believe in us.

And in that belief, I want to encourage you to rest, to take care of yourself, and to focus on the ways that your strengths help build people up. The Prince in Rogue Prince of Persia may be one of the folk on the front lines, but he isn't by himself. He finds and starts building a small community where each of them brings their expertise to creating a solution that will help them find victory. We have to embrace that in our own fights as well. We can't win on our own, but we've got a good chance at it if we can work together.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for reading. I look forward to building a better world together. I hope you'll continue to join me in that journey.