Let's break this storm together

Hello Colorful Friend,

It’s early morning, I just put a loaf of sourdough bread in the oven, and am sipping my second cup of coffee (Mukilteo Roaster’s ‘Happy Hippie’ thank you very much). Yes, I’m still in my jammies and have to confess that some days I stay in them way longer than I should. In my defense since I'm by myself most days, it’s tempting to just wear them all day. But don’t worry, I don’t go that far, and actually do force myself to dress up and look good – even if it’s just for me. And of course, because a little color goes a long way, I usually add a bit of bling.

While digging around in the freezer this morning I came across a ham hock from last Christmas. So now it’s boiling away on the stove – bone-broth soup seems exactly what’s needed to help ease tension, fill the house with delicious aromas, and boost our collective immune systems, don’t you think?

This letter to you comes at a fragile time – my guess is that no matter where you live on this beautiful planet of ours, you too are under stress, feeling isolated, trying to navigate deeply divided relationships within family, friends, in-person acquaintances or on-line communities. Sometimes it feels as if we’re puppets, tossed into a storm of someone else’s making, our interactions becoming increasingly angry and violent as the sky darkens, our strings are pulled, and compassion is torn from our hands.

It’s no wonder we feel this way – our newsfeeds and media are inundated with all of the ways in which we disagree (sadly, there are people pulling our strings for the sole purpose of creating division). And yet, hope shines through the clouds. Hope that we will survive, and that when we come out the other end, we will better, wiser, more connected, more empathetic.

And truly, I believe that YOU and I, my friend, are the ones that will calm this storm. We are Creatives – people who create and appreciate beauty – and so it falls to us to spread joy to those who’ve forgotten how to look for it. It’s up to us to cut the strings that are pulling us apart, to disengage from combative language, to remind our family, friends and communities of who we are and what draws us together.

I recently rekindled a friendship with someone I’ve known all my life and though she and I disagree about politics, we chat every day about… well, everyday things: Our kids and grandkids, what we’re baking, the challenge of running our businesses and nurturing friendships during a pandemic. We fill our conversations with the simple things in life that bring us joy, or cause us worry. The simple bits that added together are the most important bits.

Oh sure, there are probably things we each say that strike a nerve in the other person – because what subject hasn’t been tainted by politics in this crazy storm we're in? But instead of allowing any discord to grow, we graciously let it pass and focus on all of the amazing commonalities that draw us together.

Are you with me? Let’s illuminate the pathways that pull us back together. Let’s break this storm by reminding ourselves and others of the beauty that surrounds us, and how interconnected we all are.

I hope that you take this opportunity to reach out to friends, even if – especially if – they don’t share your political beliefs, and that you rekindle the beauty and depth of your similarities.

Together, my friend, we will weather this storm.
Sending you love,
Beverly