Thousands of Answers
|
Hello friends, The great writer Octavia Butler once replied to a student asking about ending the world’s suffering, “There’s no single answer that will solve all of our future problems. There’s no magic bullet. Instead there are thousands of answers—at least. You can be one of them if you choose to be.” Often hailed as a prophet for her science fiction works, Butler insisted that she simply studied history and extrapolated a possible future from that—often recent—past. Many of us saw the current present coming. Many were called Cassandra. Listening matters. Paying attention matters. But we’re here now, and the thing that matters most? Becoming one of a thousand or more answers. We all know what to do if we pause and pay attention. In times of acute crisis, the important thing to do is remain as centered and grounded as we can be—or actually, keep returning to a centered and grounded state, no matter how often we get thrown off. And from that centered and grounded state, we act. We show up for our neighbors. We feed people. We do court support. We donate. We gather in the streets. We protect each other. We speak up for the children. Together, we create the future we desire. For me, this looks like all of us, finding our ways toward solutions. These solutions may feel as if they only solve a proximate need, but in reality, these solutions are building something long term. Our tiny acts of resilience, love, and resistance ease the world’s suffering. Our tiny acts of resilience, love, and resistance build a future in which community is valued, water and earth are valued, and the stranger is welcomed and becomes a friend. Let us become thousands of answers to the question of what it is we love. Best wishes — Thorn
|
T. Thorn Coyle
Hello friends, I had oral surgery last week, and now that I’m able to eat kind-of-solid-but-still-mushy food, I’m making oatmeal every morning. As a consequence, I’ve been engaging in some simple honey magic. No, I’m not harvesting my own honey. No, I’m not leaving a jar of honey out beneath the full moon. Those are two magical things to do, but my ambitions right now are simpler. All I am doing is this: Gathering some honey on a teaspoon, I drizzle the golden amber substance into the bottom...
Hello friends, A mourning dove hoo-hoos outside my window. Black capped chickadees chirp and crows call. Daffodils spring along sidewalks, and the sun peers out among grey clouds. It is the time of equinox here on planet Earth. I love equinoxes and solstices, because these are four times a year when I stop to take a larger pause. To notice the changes—subtle and large—around me. In the seasons. In the slant of sun. In the conversations of birds. In the fall of snow or leaves, or the rise of a...
Hello friends, This has felt like a hard week, globally. Even as I watch events unfold from our comfortable home, I feel the psychic and emotional pressure. People are in danger, including in my home communities. Despite my relative privilege, I’m in danger, too. I wanted to name this pressure, in case you also feel it. But, here’s the thing, unless we need to actively get loved ones to safety right now, we need to choose to feel these emotions, and then regulate ourselves as best we can....