This is ours.
Will the choices we make now - about pandemic, climate, democracy - become the stories told about our generation?
I’ve talked with so many folks this week who are struggling. We felt the elation of hope in the spring, as vaccinations rolled out widely, weather improved, the sun emerged. We looked forward to a summer of less vigilance, greater ease.
But the delta variant, heat domes, wildfires, the failures of elected officials to protect our precious democracy, and stories of desperation from Afghanistan have sapped much of that optimism and replaced it with a kind of bitter exhaustion.
I spent much of this week lost in the struggle and fatigue. I even wrote a long post about all the reasons to be disappointed, disillusioned, and exhausted. Then, a dear friend said: “Our grandparents and parents lived through depression and wars that defined how we see their generations. Maybe this is ours: we will be defined by how we dealt with this pandemic.”
And that made me think: what stories do we want to create for future generations to tell about us? Certainly, they will include the grievous losses, the exhaustion, the overwhelm. I believe they will also include our resilience, commitment, fortitude.
The work is here, in front of us, all the time. Sometimes it takes crisis for us to admit that we see it. And as hard as it is to keep working, the alternative is worse.
Take time to rest, protect yourself from the elements, the heat, the virus. Seek support from loved ones and respite from the stress. Your health - mental, physical, emotional - is fundamental to continuing our progress.
Nurture yourself through the struggle. You are essential to our beloved community.
Sent with gratitude for your company on this journey.