My grandpa first came to America as a migrant worker. My husband is Jewish. My nephew has developmental disabilities. My step daughter is trans. I have LGBTQ, black and brown friends, neighbors and colleagues. My daughters are young women. My parents and in-laws are retired.
My life intersects and intertwines with people that many would deem “other” and that’s what makes it so wonderful. I’d be lying if said I’m not afraid for them. I am. But…I refuse to lose hope. I will not let the chaos mockers steal that from me. Shortly after the election, Austin Channing Brown wrote “hope is a duty.” At that time, I truly felt like what’s the point of even getting out of bed. Instead I wrote her quote on my whiteboard. It reminds me I don’t have the luxury of giving up hope. If I want my daughters to live in a democracy, I have to hope. Giving up is not an option.
I’ll admit since the inauguration performing that duty has become harder. Things feel much worse than I’d imagined. I wonder if hope is possible and if so is it even enough. It’d be easier if I just went about my life and pretended none of this is happening. It’s not like I can really change it, right? So why let it stress me out? But I can’t. For me, the not knowing is worse than the knowing. It makes me feel complicit. And so, I have to find that balance. I stay informed and educated from reliable sources about what is going on. At the same time, I try not to get sucked into the rabbit hole of the negative comments vortex. (Although not always successfully!)
While I can’t do anything about who is president or what congress is doing, I’m not completely powerless. In the knowing I can speak out and work toward something better. I can focus on doing the next right thing. Here’s what that looks like for me right now:
- Vote
- Register others to vote
- Write and call my representatives
- Participate in peaceful protests
- Surround myself with like-minded people
- Educate others on spotting disinformation
- Respond to calls to action
- Be active in the League of Women Voters
- Listen and speak out when called to
- Check in on those who need my support
- Remember self-care
Everywhere I look, another chunk of democracy seems to have fallen away. I also see just as many heroes doing the next right thing to save it. And that keeps hope alive.
Undaunted 