Excellent piece. The moral reminds me of a 1973 book by Harry Browne, How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World, particularly chapter 11, The Burning Issue Trap. This particular trap is believing that we cannot be happy until particular burning issues are resolved. This belief limits our psychological well-being because no burning issues is ever fully resolved. If we refuse to celebrate what we already have because a problem still exists, we will never celebrate. We will never be happy. By all means, join reform movements if you enjoy the process and the contact with like-minded people, writes Harry Browne. But don't make your happiness contingent on solving all of the world's problems, because that will never happen.
This is beautiful. It reminds me of so many milestones and fears with my daughter who just finished freshman year of high school. Thanks for writing this!
How can we not indeed. I empathize. It's overwhelming. It's exhausting. But we must always celebrate the moments we can. Small or large. We look for the good in the world. There is a lot. Sometimes it's just harder to find. We do good.
It’s the small moments of joy and peace that must count, even as we react with pain during these difficult times. I will not look away but I will continue to hold close the love I feel when I’m with the ones I love most in the world. Once again, Liz, you have written my feelings. Thank you.
Hi Liz, as a reader from London UK I want to say I thank you for getting this stuff out there. My husband and I have visited the USA many times. East Coast / West Coast, and some Southern states. I read in disbelief what’s happening. People here have no clue of the day to day goings on. We have stuff going in here too but Wow; nothing on the scale you’re going through. I don’t know if this is any consolation but my 16 year old great-nephew said to his mum the other day “I think I’m going to have to delete my Instagram account before we go to Disney in the summer because they might not let me in”. Mmmmmm… maybe not a consolation.
Oof, I'm sorry he is thinking about these things. No kid in America, whatever their background or country of origin, should feel that they're a target for things they think or say. Speech is protected under the very FIRST constitutional amendment for a reason.
Day to day, things can be rough -- especially if you are in a targeted population or live in dense immigrant communities like NY and LA. These are our neighbors, our colleagues, our small business owners, our nannies, the people we see at school dropoff every day. Just know that at the same time, there are proms and day camps, weddings and bar mitzvahs, people jogging in the morning, cramming into subways on their commutes, waiting on line at concert venues and stadiums, or Instagramming their fancy croissants. We just keep living life, even if we have to compartmentalize to get through it.
Thank you for paying attention to what is happening here. We may need the world's help at some point, the way we (under better leaders) have, throughout history, tried to be there to help the world.
Excellent piece. The moral reminds me of a 1973 book by Harry Browne, How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World, particularly chapter 11, The Burning Issue Trap. This particular trap is believing that we cannot be happy until particular burning issues are resolved. This belief limits our psychological well-being because no burning issues is ever fully resolved. If we refuse to celebrate what we already have because a problem still exists, we will never celebrate. We will never be happy. By all means, join reform movements if you enjoy the process and the contact with like-minded people, writes Harry Browne. But don't make your happiness contingent on solving all of the world's problems, because that will never happen.
Pinning this comment John. Thank you so much. I bet there are a lot of people (like me!) who can use this reminder.
This is beautiful. It reminds me of so many milestones and fears with my daughter who just finished freshman year of high school. Thanks for writing this!
They keep coming -- the fears and the milestones. xoxo (And congrats to her!)
How can we not indeed. I empathize. It's overwhelming. It's exhausting. But we must always celebrate the moments we can. Small or large. We look for the good in the world. There is a lot. Sometimes it's just harder to find. We do good.
Amen.
It’s the small moments of joy and peace that must count, even as we react with pain during these difficult times. I will not look away but I will continue to hold close the love I feel when I’m with the ones I love most in the world. Once again, Liz, you have written my feelings. Thank you.
And once again, you express so much of my own feelings perfectly ❤️
Hi Liz, as a reader from London UK I want to say I thank you for getting this stuff out there. My husband and I have visited the USA many times. East Coast / West Coast, and some Southern states. I read in disbelief what’s happening. People here have no clue of the day to day goings on. We have stuff going in here too but Wow; nothing on the scale you’re going through. I don’t know if this is any consolation but my 16 year old great-nephew said to his mum the other day “I think I’m going to have to delete my Instagram account before we go to Disney in the summer because they might not let me in”. Mmmmmm… maybe not a consolation.
Oof, I'm sorry he is thinking about these things. No kid in America, whatever their background or country of origin, should feel that they're a target for things they think or say. Speech is protected under the very FIRST constitutional amendment for a reason.
Day to day, things can be rough -- especially if you are in a targeted population or live in dense immigrant communities like NY and LA. These are our neighbors, our colleagues, our small business owners, our nannies, the people we see at school dropoff every day. Just know that at the same time, there are proms and day camps, weddings and bar mitzvahs, people jogging in the morning, cramming into subways on their commutes, waiting on line at concert venues and stadiums, or Instagramming their fancy croissants. We just keep living life, even if we have to compartmentalize to get through it.
Thank you for paying attention to what is happening here. We may need the world's help at some point, the way we (under better leaders) have, throughout history, tried to be there to help the world.