This week's letter is late due to an epic crashout I had on Sunday. I doubt I have to explain all the reasons a sentient, female American person might have crashed out this week.
I feel a little like this toaster. It works about 60% of the time, and the other 40% it catches fire. Just kidding, it only caught on fire once.
We still use it.
It's Thursday now and I have tools.
I've spent the last few days making a list of all the things that help, in case you're crashing too. Here we go.
Tool #1 - Nature
We've been "touching grass" so hard, we've torn up the lawn, but don't count the natural world out just yet. Yesterday a rainstorm blew into the high desert and I swear it washed me clean.
You can't imagine how the desert smells after the rain. It woke up all my senses and helped me feel, even for a passing moment, that all will be well. All will be well.
New Mexico seduces you with its wild spaces. I watch the sun rise and set every single day. I know what phase the moon is in and how the earth is tilting south ever so slightly each day. It's a part of my rhythm now. Five stars. Highly recommend.
Here's the pic I took after the storm passed.
Here's one Sam took at headquarters a few miles away.
Tool #2 - Locality.
There's an oft-told story about a child on the seashore at low tide, throwing stranded starfish back in the water.
An adult approaches the child and says, "there are thousands of starfish stranded like this, what you're doing won't matter."
"It matters to this one," she replied, chucking it in.
Somebody should be able to stop this madness, but that somebody is not me. I can however stop a few starfish from drying out at low tide. It feels good to help others. Where are your starfish?
Also, hello Congress? We The People shall see you at midterms bearing the white hot fury of a thousand suns.
Tool #3 - Einstein & Jesus.
"No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it." — Einstein
"World War Four will be fought with sticks and stones." — Einstein
There is sickness in my heart and the heart of every human that makes us behave like we do. Try as I might, I can't eradicate it on my own. I need Jesus who showed me how to love others rightly, then died for my inability to do so. The Ten Commandments are great, the eight Beatitudes are greater.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God," - Jesus
Tool #4 - Make Insta Funny Again.
I dunk on social media so hard and often, saying this sounds like hypocrisy, but people do post incredibly funny things, and it redeems the interwebs a little. Train your algorithm to serve up funny and heartening things. Here are a few of my favorites. Click the images to watch - seriously every one of them is awesome, and they open in separate tabs. Bonus points if you send me your faves. Here we go.
First up, these two obviously.
This guy and his dog.
This guy.
This beautiful art.
This fella telling kids to believe in themselves.
This guy's love of music.
These two magicians.
Make a point of saving the things you laugh at, so when the crashout comes, and you're holding your phone, you can look through it and laugh to keep from crying.
Tool #5 - Get serious about friendship and community.
We're hosting Taos Friend Camp next month. Funny thing, I've been talking about this event in serious thoughtful ways since January, but since we bombed Iran, I'm like, "well, heck with that."
We are going to let 'er rip — play, laugh, eat junk food if we want, make new friends and be serious about nothing. I tend to be kind of a serious teacher, who leans into heavy things, but not at this one. This Firelight Adventure is all about getting women together and having fun in a heavy world.
We have 3 spaces left and in my Insta binge last night, I found this videographer's work, and it made me even happier we're going to Taos. His name is Elijah Rael. This is the stunning Rio Grande Gorge and the Taos Mesa. Click it to watch.
Tool #6 - Hot Baths and Emily in Paris.
I know a hot bath is terrible for my aging skin, but for my mental health, the practice can't be beat. With a little lavender bath salt and my earbuds in watching the frippery that is Emily in Paris, I can imagine I'm drinking champagne on a boat on the Seine, watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle. Priceless.
But since our water is also really hard here in the high desert, I went looking for a good lotion to ease the suffering my skin endures while keeping me sane. Write this down. It's Curel Hydratherapy, wet skin lotion. The bottle is turquoise. Thank me later.
Ok the tub is calling, I'm out. Go touch grass.
xoe
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