Systems of Support
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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
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T. Thorn Coyle
Hello friends, This past week, I attended an online class from author business coach Becca Syme. She's super insightful, and spoke to us about emotional regulation when world events or business disasters have us spinning. Each morning, she goes through these four phrases, and fills in the blanks: I feel happy that... I feel grateful that... I feel hopeful that... I feel secure that... Becca lives in Minnesota and almost canceled our talk because things in her immigrant-filled neighborhood...
Hello friends, Well… it’s been another eventful week here in the US and globally. In the midst of it all, I’m sure you’ve gone to work, worried about money or family or friends, dropped children off at school, cared for your elders, bought groceries… all of the ordinary things in life. I’m sure some of you have also been to community safety trainings, or attended vigils. Some of you have escaped for an hour or two into books, music, movies, or long walks. And that’s what we do, in...
Hello friends, It is early January. Another Gregorian calendar year. Outside my window, the sun shines after rain. Wisps of grey clouds hover low, kissing utility wires. It’s gorgeous outside, and feels still. The air is cold and soft with moisture. Crows call to one another, cars drive by. Tea steams its fragrance at my side. Today is another day to ponder, work, and plan. Today is another day to choose. What will you choose, repeatedly, this year? What do you plan? What might you build?...