On Hope
“The opposite of war isn’t peace, it’s creation.”
~ RENT (by Jonathan Larson)
Happy International Women’s Day everyone!
Peace can feel passive sometimes, like the absence of war. Which may be a relief. But what is the opposite of war? How can we move toward stale mating it? Creation, building— and I don’t mean necessarily material things, though the destruction of war does bring a need of that as well— feels like the space for hope. Investing in the tissue that holds us together, our common humanity, our communities. I’m talking about the picture of the baby carriages that moms in Poland left at the train stations for refugee moms traveling with babies. I’m talking about people in Berlin holding up signs at the train station saying how many rooms are available in their homes…
I know it feels like there is nothing we can do. I know it is easy to dip into hopelessness. But there are ways we can help Ukraine from here. Lots of organizations to donate to. Send money over by renting out a Ukrainian family’s AirBnB as a way to support them. And if that still feels a bit hollow, there are so many ways in which we can contribute to fascism NOT winning here on our very own turf, where abortion, voting and trans rights are under legal attack RIGHT NOW. These things are all connected in the end by human rights and what may seem like small erosions of our rights, ultimately affect all of us.
If you are feeling overwhelmed right now by the horrible news of this world; if you are having a hard time finding your footing in all the changes, or in what Brené Brown calls ‘The Big Awkward’ of being in person with people again and not only having to navigate new ground rules, but also your own social rustiness; if you feel like it’s hard to see a way forward; and if you feel like there is no hope… maybe it’s time to take action. It’s no secret and studies have shown that people who volunteer, and find ways to become involved are able to alleviate symptoms of depression and have a better general sense of belonging and wellness. And there is so much in the world that can use our attention right now. Here at home and also afar. There are always ways to help, ways to get involved. Ways to help folx who may need it more than we do at this time. We can be the helpers. Even from here.
Here are two great listens that will bring hope your way:
The Book Of Hope by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams
Alok: How Do We Interrupt Trauma? How Do We Heal?
Here are some interesting articles on best ways to support Ukraine:
Supporting Ukraine By Booking an AirBNB
How Can You Help Ukrainians?
And here are some ways to become informed and help here at home:
Protect Voting Rights
Protect Trans Rights
Protect Abortion Rights
