We Can Help
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Hello friends, This week, fires rage in the Los Angeles basin while other parts of the US are freezing. War continues elsewhere across the globe. It’s easy to give up, wondering what in the world we can do. When the world feels overwhelming, any of our efforts can seem like a drop in a bottomless bucket. But as organizer and writer Mariame Kaba has said, “Let this radicalize you rather than lead you to despair.” A bucket, no matter how large, is still filled one drop at a time. And then a bucket brigade can be organized. Help begins with that single drop of water. Another way of thinking about it is that we can’t save everyone, but we can help at least a few. Pick one to three things you can offer that might feel helpful to the world right now. Then do those things. Sure, we’re going up against greedy oil companies and billionaires and corrupt politicians and all the rest. But that does not mean we are without power. Collectively, we are a force to be reckoned with. All we have to do—today—is choose to claim the power we have. If you are a person in need of help right now, I hope you are getting some assistance. As for the rest of us? Let’s keep finding ways to choose, and ways to help. When things seem bleak and it is hard to go on, the offer of a single cup of water just might change the course of someone’s life. I’m offering a few resource and donation options for Southern California below. Best wishes - Thorn Mutual Aid Los Angeles Network made a spreadsheet of Resources, Volunteering Opportunities, etc World Central Kitchen is feeding people in Los Angeles (and around the globe). Direct Relief Los Angeles is providing medical equipment, respirators etc
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T. Thorn Coyle
Hello friends My intention for this week’s newsletter was to share what I’d written on community prosperity and magic a couple of weeks ago. Or the podcast I just did on love and determination during hard times. And I’m still going to, below, because those thoughts are important, too. But first, I need to speak honestly about my current state. It’s not my usual uplifting musings, and I hope that’s okay with you. Last night, my sleep was troubled. I kept waking with thoughts of the men in...
Hello friends, It’s the full moon today, which is a time I like to pause and reset my focus. After a rough few days because of the state of cruelty in the world—including the minor personal annoyance of dealing with a sudden mass of deeply unhappy and toxic trolls because one of my photos went viral on Facebook—last night, I did some cleansing and recentered before bed. This morning, after lighting my candles and making my prayers, I decided once again that today I would focus on the things I...
Hello friends, While walking in downtown Portland, Oregon, I was waiting at a crosswalk for the light to change. I glanced left, and there was a tiny piece of art affixed to a parking sign. It was a portrait of a person with peachy skin and long dark hair, among city lights, and it made me smile. Now, I know nothing about this artist. Perhaps they have paintings hung in galleries. Perhaps they sell art full time from their online store, or at weekend craft fairs. Who knows, maybe their work...