I began this blog in the United States in late January 2025 in direct response to the utterly chaotic events happening at the national level. I personally felt under attack as a woman; as a concerned mother of a tween daughter; as an educated, thinking person; as an informed citizen; as a compassionate, caring human being. So many things I value to my core were under attack: civil rights, reproductive rights, equality, democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, separation of church and state, voting rights, libraries, PBS and NPR, education, the environment; and I felt powerless to fight the intentional destruction of all these things I cherish. I found myself intensely angry — as in smoldering rage — and deeply disgusted. In almost every way I identify, I felt attacked and that I no longer belonged in this society.
I also felt devoid of a community. While my immediate family and a few other family members and close friends felt like I did about the state of our affairs, my much wider extended family network and many family friends — all of whom consider themselves good people — voted for this fascist regime and apparently support its monstrous actions. That people I cared about not only willingly embraced the erosion of their rights and freedoms but cheered attacks on vulnerable communities and the dismantling of our democracy was so profoundly disappointing: It is a very painful thing to realize people you love are willfully ignorant and indifferent to others outside their sphere or at worst deeply bigoted hypocrites who side with criminals and condone human rights violations. It is more subtle but equally painful to lose respect for them. And so that’s where I found myself, having experienced significant loss on many levels, grieving and feeling very isolated.
Since the 2024 election, I had been struggling to sort out how we as a country had come to this and how I was personally going to cope with it. I had truly thought we were collectively better than this. My profound anger galvanized me to make some uncomfortable decisions: My focus going forward would only be me and my family. I absolutely would not help people who voted against their own self interest or who didn’t vote at all; it’s not my responsibility to save them. I couldn’t really help people who would need it as much as I might want to: I can’t prevent ICE raids or stop hate crimes. What I could do was be an ally and use my voice, but that’s about it. So I would do what I could and what I needed to do to protect my family. We would be fine as much as anyone could be: We’re a privileged white family who live in a safe, purple town in a blue state. We are going to be OK, but unfortunately, there are a lot of people who won’t be. What else I could do? I decided to refuse to live in outrage or constant worry. After all, that’s what they want: For the compassionate helpers of the country to become bogged down by fear, helplessness, and despair, to feel powerless and just give up, because that’s when they really win. The best way I could personally fight this madness is to do what I could to help and then, as an act of intentional resistance, to truly thrive in the face of chaos.
After I made my decision to personally resist and flourish despite what craziness might be going on in the world, I realized that many people who felt as I did may be looking for a like-minded community, too. So I decided to share my philosophies and approach to life and actively cultivate that community.
And here we are.
If you are looking to build and lead a beautiful, meaningful life where you value beautiful ideals, such as kindness, compassion, authenticity, ethics, integrity, tolerance, freedom, respect, inclusion, and education, and you seek to grow as a happy, healthy, self-actualized person, I extend a warm welcome: This is a safe place for you. I invite you to join my community where together we can work hopefully to improve society while we personally succeed and prosper.