We will be known as a culture that feared death and adored power, that tried to vanquish insecurity for the few and cared little for the penury of the many. We will be known as a culture that taught and rewarded the amassing of things, that spoke little if at all about the quality of life for people (other people), for dogs, for rivers. All the world, in our eyes, they will say, was a commodity.~ Mary Oliver ~
from her poem "Of the Empire"
I try to stay informed and involved. I make my opinions known to my Congressmen.
However, some days...
...some days even the headlines are more than I can bear. So I do what I can and I pray--even if my heart can't take the news.
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Now that we're all connected, with instant videos and images, it's nearly impossible to shelter ourselves from the misery and degradation, human and environmental, all around us. Some call what we experience "compassion fatigue," and that's exactly what I feel sometimes.
In moments of abject despair, faced with feelings of futility, I try to remember what the flight attendants tell us before takeoff: In the event of an emergency, put the oxygen mask on yourself first.
Despair and futility rob us of oxygen. Sometimes doing what we can means taking care of ourselves first.
You exemplify that for us, and I thank you for it.
It always starts with finding our own peace first. Some days that's a full time job.
Yes.
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