Tag Archives: challenge

What Do We Do Now?

It kind of feels like Dumbledore died all over again, and Voldemort has risen.

Sadness, fear, and uncertainty are pervasive, and one question lingers, “what do we do now?” The answer is we do exactly what Harry, Ron, and Hermione did-we hunt horocruxes.

The Republican version of a horocrux isn’t quite as hard to find as those in the JK Rowling series. The life blood of a red states is hatred, division, and lies (mostly lies told to kind, trusting Americans to convince them to support Voldemort). We destroy these with truth, love, and acceptance. Defeat the bad with good.

The trickier part of the hunt comes when faced with actual threats of racial bias, intimidation against those of different sexual orientations, misogyny, religious persecution, and a populace educated with an overkill of mis-information.

“If you see something, say something” takes on an additional meaning going forward. It requires each of us stand up for marginalized citizens being persecuted. Not getting involved is the equivalent of condoning bad behavior.

Remember that the final horocrux presents the biggest challenge. To eradicate bias in another person requires each of us to acknowledge our own bias. None of us is perfect. Everyone has a valid perspective. We can learn a lot from others, especially when their words are not the ones we want to hear.

Take a walk in the other person’s shoes. Send your love before you. Be respectful of all.

Love Letter to Myself

Valentine’s Day has returned, and on a Saturday this year! I had planned to stay in bed all day (hiding), but someone suggested I try writing a love letter…to MYSELF. My first thought was that there was absolutely NO WAY I would EVER do that. Then, noticing my strong negative reaction, I figured maybe it was worth a try.

To begin, I imagined what I would say in a love letter to another, but after trying to translate that formula to myself, I was left with keywords for practicing a job interview. I got frustrated, but instead of giving up, I realized that one of the things I love about myself is that I don’t give up easily, and I dove in deeper. Here is the final draft:

My Darling Me,

Thank you for challenging me and persisting every time I feel like giving up. You know that you are the one I trust and rely on. You are the one I talk to (often out loud) when I need to sort out the mess of thoughts in my head. You are the one who lulls me back to sleep in the middle of the night when my “shoulds” torture me awake.

I admire your uniqueness, and that when others comment on how you march to the beat of your own drum, you take it as a compliment. You are not only clever and curious, but you also know the proper way to load a dishwasher.

You work hard to approach situations with compassion and to be the bright light in someone else’s day, and I’m amazed by how you can always find the silver lining when storm clouds roll in.

I love that you can be completely absorbed by the simply beauty of a butterfly, or a sky full of twinkling stars. I love your laughter when things go right, or even when things go wrong. It is comforting to know you will allow me to take a time out when I need a break, and even when you lie to me, I understand it is meant to stall the truth until I’m ready because sometimes reality hits too hard all at once.

Please remember that I will always be your biggest fan. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love, Me