Systems of Support
|
Hello friends, Believe it or not—and despite the first paragraph—below are more thoughts about hope… As one Gregorian calendar year draws to a close, many of us are gazing into a highly volatile, uncertain future. The US economy seems to teeter on a precipice. With scant oversight and terrified or deported workers, our food supply is both compromised and costly. Environmental regulations are gutted. Families are rent apart. Too many people live in fear of what the next day will offer. This brings me to a photo I took recently, of a great stone gate with a might tree behind. The sandstone arch is built on strong, moss festooned pediments. The tree looks equally strong, having weathered many years. The arch gate is dirty with the patina of time, a testament to its longevity. We are like that tree, this gate. We have weathered much, and will weather more to come. Like the pediments holding up the arch, we are supported and we offer support, in turn. So, as this year comes to an end, it’s a good time to look at our systems of support. What supports your life right now? Is it a community network? A spiritual group? Family? Close friends? Steady work? Nourishing food? Laughter? Music? Art? Rest? Take some time and ponder the answer to that question. It’s important. We’re all going to need more support in the coming days, and it is easier to welcome that support if we know what we’re looking for. Next, how are you supporting others right now? Are you sharing resources, talents, or skills? Are you engaged in community defense or uplift? Are you making art or baking bread? Do you lighten other’s loads in ways either large or small? Are you making food, preparing hygiene kits, or offering rides, or a listening ear? There are hundreds of ways to offer support. Take some time to examine all the ways you currently help out, and brainstorm ways you might expand this offering, if possible. As long as we have the support of each other, we’ve got this. Some days that may feel hard to believe, but even in times of great fear, my heart clings to this sense of hope. Wishing you warmth, safety, love, prosperity, and support in the coming year. Best wishes — Thorn
|
T. Thorn Coyle
Hello friends, “Light is returning, even though this is the darkest hour. No one can hold back the dawn…” – Charlie Murphy & Jami Sieber It’s Solstice weekend as I write this. It is cold outside. There’s flooding not far from here. There are families afraid to go to work or school. There are people hoarding power and wealth who care only for themselves. There are mass shootings. War. There are people fueled by cruelty, hatred, and fear. These are dark times, indeed. These are also times of...
Hello friends, The thing about life is…. It’s a tangle. A tangle of beauty and heartache and love and joy. A tangle of rest and ambition. A tangle of science and wonder. A tangle of trees and insects, flowers and mammals. A tangle of humanity and a tangle of stars. Another word for this tangling is interdependence. Every time I see it mentioned that someone is “self made” I wince. Not one of us is “self made.” We are all dependent on so many networks that we would not survive without. We rely...
Hello friends, We’re in the dark months here in the northern hemisphere. This is the time when many people kindle extra light. Those lights are beacons of hope, tiny stars brought down to earth. We all have an inner light, as well. A light that connects us with others. The light of creativity and kindness. But some days, we’re too tired to shine. Some days, we’re too afraid to shine. Some days, we feel too beaten down to shine. And that’s okay. Darkness is a time of rest, as well. It’s okay...