Tension in the reflections and intentions

It’s a strange world we live in. Jarring. Disjointed. Full of natural beauty and moments of deep joy and love on one hand. And on the other hand, full of human-created, preventable, unnecessary catastrophe and horror. 

A world where I can go from walking in a peaceful forest, to driving past the end of my block where people live in makeshift homes of rusty RVs in a parking lot with no services, to sitting comfortably on my couch while looking at social media where children are freezing or starving to death or being bombed to shreds.

These are policy choices rooted in the most violent system—poverty, lack of affordable housing, barriers to healthcare, polluted air/water/food, 2000 pound bombs raining down nonstop for 15 months on 2 million people trapped in an open air concentration camp. These are not individual failings or mere tragedies. This is systemic violence.

It’s sick and twisted. I don’t accept it. I will stay present and witness this deep sickness, the discomfort, the tension. So that I’m not lulled back into a state of mindless complacency, distraction, and willful ignorance. So that I’m moved to take even the smallest actions.

I intend to practice paying attention. To witness the pain, the small joys, the deep joy, the interconnectedness, the hidden things, the places that scare me, the collective power we have, the magic of Mother Earth, the ancient Wisdom all around us and within us.

I will practice strengthening my ability to care for my and my loved ones’ needs while holding space for the collective struggle—near and far—and taking action to resist and disrupt and build something new.

And whatever may come, I seek to cultivate joy, courage, steadfastness, and willingness to make sacrifices for justice and liberation for all. 

A better world is possible, and it starts within.