Take a Sad Song

the other morning when i awakened, i had an inexplicable feeling of deep sadness.  normally i'm an optimistic person.  i usually feel that, despite all the troubles in the world, good will triumph over evil, love over hate, generosity over greed.  yet from the moment i opened my eyes, it seemed that things were hopeless.  after the last election which gave democrats control of both the white house and congress, i thought that our country would make progress towards enacting an agenda that would help all americans.  that has not happened.  millions are being displaced and all that they have worked for is being destroyed by a needless war in ukraine.  state legislatures in many states are passing laws that harm women, gay and trans youth, and educators.  these same legislatures are restricting voting rights and drawing electoral maps intended to insure republican dominance at the state and national levels.  inflation has surged and taken a bite out of the income of the most vulnerable sectors of our population, and government seems all but powerless to curtail rising prices.  the supreme court seems poised to undo a woman's right to control her own body and has moved far to the right.

it appeared that everywhere i looked, there was little reason to feel good about the direction things were going in the world and in our country.   over the several days between then and now little has changed, but my feeling of despair has eased.  i'm still troubled by the events that were the reasons for my sadness, but my mood has gradually altered.  i now see that what is happening is not a permanent state of affairs.  the pendulum will swing back towards a more progressive mindset in the electorate of our country.  as the economy stabilizes, inflation will ease.  there are indications that the sanctions imposed on russia by western governments are having some effect on the russians' will to wage war against ukraine.  

i suppose the feeling of powerlessness for one individual like me to change the course of national and world events is natural.  now i realize that there are things i can do to make the world a better place, even though i can't affect major crises in the world.  i can vote for candidates that support progressive government policies and encourage others to do the same.  i can live in such a way that my kindness may make the world a better place in the hope that others will be moved to live kinder, more compassionate lives.  i can support causes that help the ukrainian people.  

may we realize our limitations and do what we can to make life better for ourselves and others in whatever ways we can.  may we be the pebble that creates ripples that carry far beyond our point of immediate impact.  may we love even when it seems that our love makes little difference in the grand scheme of things.  may we accept our feelings even when they are feelings of hopelessness and despair.  shalom.