My cousin sent me a text last night. It was a post from her dad, my uncle, who is the son of a Holocaust survivor. He’s the son of my 101-year-old Grandfather who was a prisoner in concentration camps for over 5 years while he was starved, tortured, and enslaved and while his entire family was brutally murdered. I won’t repeat the post because I do not wish to trigger anyone further, but it’s a MAGA-forward post about reclaiming our country. I felt sick reading it. 

It’s tempting when reading posts like this, especially from family and friends, to want to respond, or rather, to react. And let me assure you, there is PLENTY that I could say back. I would be fiercely defending my BIPOC,  LGBTQ+, and immigrant friends and family and question how my uncle is somehow proud that he just voted someone into office who does not protect large groups of human beings. I would be calling out the complete hypocrisy of the MAGA platform in general and questioning how he could justify choosing someone who has committed crimes against women and his country. And I would be sharing my complete disgust in putting one’s support behind someone who so closely mimics a man who murdered our very own ancestors. It’s a very familiar place for me to want to meet chaos with chaos. It’s so challenging, especially when we feel betrayed and hurt by the callous words of someone we love, to not stoop to their level, or to even want to escalate it. But the problem is, when we approach a tornado, we don’t stop the tornado, we get swept up into it. 

So here’s what I’m doing instead. Rather than trying to argue with people who aren’t interested in or aren’t able to hear my opinions, I am instead focusing my efforts on tending to those whom I love who are wounded around me. When a tornado comes through there is a lot of damage. So first and foremost, I’m checking in on those I hold most dear to my heart and seeing how I can help. I certainly cannot fix things for anyone right now, but I can provide a meal, a shoulder to cry on, and the reassurance that I still hold their rights as human beings as sacred. And I can tend to my own wounded parts, too. 

What comes after that I’m not quite sure yet. I think for me there will be organizing and advocacy; continuing to fight for what I value and what I know in my bones is what we all deserve as human beings and as citizens. While I must accept that this was the unfortunate outcome of an individual election, I cannot accept that this is the outcome for the future of the American people. 

I’m not suggesting being calm or to not be angry, even furious, about what is happening. To not be furious right now sounds insane to me. But I think that we can be most effective with our anger if we are clear about how and where to use our energy. The more that we engage with the place within us that has clarity about our values and our heart’s knowing, the better able we are to resource ourselves right now in these extremely challenging times and support those who really need us right now too. Again, sending much love and light to all right now.