I appreciate you both so much! Sarah, Ezra Klein’s piece was excellent, as was his new piece in today’s NYT about “vibes.” (Someone give him a Pulitzer already.) Beth, I am right there with you in that uncomfortable crevice — “not because DJT deserves it, but because the American experiment requires it.” So beautifully and powerfully stated!
Apple maps puts my house 6.7 miles from the white house. I have been struggling with a feeling of dread that after tomorrow the city I have lived in and lived near for over 20 years may never be the same again. And then I realized that it’s never the same from one day to the next anyway. I am trying to cling to the fact that there will be wonderful, exciting things and beautiful art and amazing theatre and two new pandas at the zoo to visit and it will be ok to celebrate and enjoy those things even if there ends up being so many things that anger and sadden me that emanate from decisions and votes that the people in office who work here make.
Hi Beth <3 To prepare for 2025 and beyond I started investing even more in my community. Paying even more attention. Family in my daughter's AAC therapy group struggling to make ends meet? Use that week's grocery budget for them. Women's shelter downtown that specifically helps women at risk of sexual exploitation shared a list of items they need for winter? Done. Library collecting for local food pantries? Done. Restock teachers and special education classes monthly with wipes and tissues - tell them this. Reaching out to friends/educators who live in Chicago - do they know families that could be impacted on Tuesday? I would like to help fund lawyers.
A couple quotes I come back to. Take care, Pantsuit Politics family <3
“I have never felt that anything really mattered but knowing that you stood for the things in which you believed and had done the very best you could.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt
“Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down.”
Last time around, I definitely found myself in the resist camp, somehow thinking that if we just pointed out the terrible things he was doing that people would come around. That there was a way that we could stop what was happening.
This time feels different. If folks did not get that we should stop this during the campaign then it appears this is where we as a country need to be. So the question isn’t how we stop this but what can we do to minimize harm as we navigate the next 4 years. In some ways that almost feels freeing - less like banging my head against brick walls and more like being curious as to how I can influence that in a more positive direction.
Doesn’t mean that it won’t be awful, but it does feel less overwhelming.
Sarah’s words were such a reminder of how much I’ve changed since then and the power of knowing others are ready to make change moving forward. I’ve been listening to the WTF happened playlist a lot lately.
I am grateful that I live in Portugal and with the time difference, I'll be busy making dinner and listening to your playlists. So I'll have no free time to listen/watch the nonsense.
I'm so grateful to you, Sarah and Beth, for helping me to pause and not panic (as much). My anxiety about this administration is sky-high, and your writing (and speaking!) is grounding and helpful.
My mantra moving forward is, "Joy alongside anguish." Meaning: I will not deny the pain he has caused, is causing, and will cause, but I will also seek out Joy each and every day. So, fuck you. MAGA.
I’m trying to focus less on the political noise to save space for the things that affect myself and my family. For example, my husband got a job offer last week with a federal agency and it’s hard to be excited when there is a potential hiring freeze coming soon. We’ll be holding our breaths for sure.
I appreciate you both so much! Sarah, Ezra Klein’s piece was excellent, as was his new piece in today’s NYT about “vibes.” (Someone give him a Pulitzer already.) Beth, I am right there with you in that uncomfortable crevice — “not because DJT deserves it, but because the American experiment requires it.” So beautifully and powerfully stated!
Thank you to Sarah and Beth for continuing to give voice to much of what I'm feeling...it helps to know that others feel as I do.
Apple maps puts my house 6.7 miles from the white house. I have been struggling with a feeling of dread that after tomorrow the city I have lived in and lived near for over 20 years may never be the same again. And then I realized that it’s never the same from one day to the next anyway. I am trying to cling to the fact that there will be wonderful, exciting things and beautiful art and amazing theatre and two new pandas at the zoo to visit and it will be ok to celebrate and enjoy those things even if there ends up being so many things that anger and sadden me that emanate from decisions and votes that the people in office who work here make.
I love this perspective
The article on building for fire was very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
I thought it was so interesting and also thinking about the unique challenges of building for both earthquake and fire
I really needed to read these thoughts from you both today. I will follow your lead.
Hi Beth <3 To prepare for 2025 and beyond I started investing even more in my community. Paying even more attention. Family in my daughter's AAC therapy group struggling to make ends meet? Use that week's grocery budget for them. Women's shelter downtown that specifically helps women at risk of sexual exploitation shared a list of items they need for winter? Done. Library collecting for local food pantries? Done. Restock teachers and special education classes monthly with wipes and tissues - tell them this. Reaching out to friends/educators who live in Chicago - do they know families that could be impacted on Tuesday? I would like to help fund lawyers.
A couple quotes I come back to. Take care, Pantsuit Politics family <3
“I have never felt that anything really mattered but knowing that you stood for the things in which you believed and had done the very best you could.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt
“Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt
Last time around, I definitely found myself in the resist camp, somehow thinking that if we just pointed out the terrible things he was doing that people would come around. That there was a way that we could stop what was happening.
This time feels different. If folks did not get that we should stop this during the campaign then it appears this is where we as a country need to be. So the question isn’t how we stop this but what can we do to minimize harm as we navigate the next 4 years. In some ways that almost feels freeing - less like banging my head against brick walls and more like being curious as to how I can influence that in a more positive direction.
Doesn’t mean that it won’t be awful, but it does feel less overwhelming.
Sarah’s words were such a reminder of how much I’ve changed since then and the power of knowing others are ready to make change moving forward. I’ve been listening to the WTF happened playlist a lot lately.
I am grateful that I live in Portugal and with the time difference, I'll be busy making dinner and listening to your playlists. So I'll have no free time to listen/watch the nonsense.
I'm so grateful to you, Sarah and Beth, for helping me to pause and not panic (as much). My anxiety about this administration is sky-high, and your writing (and speaking!) is grounding and helpful.
I’m ready for whatever the American experiment throws at us next. May we approach this next phase with resilient hearts and thoughtful minds.
My mantra moving forward is, "Joy alongside anguish." Meaning: I will not deny the pain he has caused, is causing, and will cause, but I will also seek out Joy each and every day. So, fuck you. MAGA.
This from Robert Reich (by a Turkish reporter) was Super helpful - and hopeful! https://open.substack.com/pub/robertreich/p/trump-will-overplay-his-hand-be-ready?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2c2wq
This was really helpful. Thank you for sharing! I pray the Democratic leadership get organized & follow this playbook.
This is excellent! Thank you for sharing!
I’m trying to focus less on the political noise to save space for the things that affect myself and my family. For example, my husband got a job offer last week with a federal agency and it’s hard to be excited when there is a potential hiring freeze coming soon. We’ll be holding our breaths for sure.
I won’t be paying any amount of attention to the inauguration or anything related to it.
me neither! refusing to give it one moment of my attention!
I have been using the Serenity Prayer:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
.
Amen.