I didn't cry until near the end of Kamala's concession speech. So much care. So much brilliance. So much love and our nation kicked that care in the teeth. I've felt that before in dysfunctional relationships... it's the most painful rejection... the discard of someone's essence, their dearness, their humanity. I appreciate very much this space you hold for us as we grieve and then get back to the work of caring for others, even when they hate us straight to our face.
I'm an utter mess today, and it's not helped by the fact that I am a therapist and many of my clients voted for Trump. Holding space for them and their feelings, in the midst of feeling mine, is very very hard right now.
So am I. It’s a tough profession. I also have clients who are celebrating and others who are terrified. Marshaling every way I can think of to take care of myself and stand in my truth while being loving toward all.
How are you doing it, Amy & Sarah Jane? Are you angry at them? I would find it hard not to be. Trying to navigate my own feelings toward those who've created this situation...
I'm not really angry at them, either, because I notice how much anger and drama they have in their lives. They've been taught that anger and aggression is a strength, so one way I am fighting back is by seeing the humanity in them, and helping them to change their negative thought patterns. It's therapy as advocacy.
No. Not angry at them. I’m angry at the people who manipulated them. It’s been eye opening to discover how targeted various populations’ vulnerabilities have been ; via algorithms behind social media.
i am grumpy. but super grateful to have spent the day with preschoolers and live in their world. it was a blessing to drop my rage at the door and be kind, gentle, and silly instead of full of fear and dread for a few hours.
Thank for giving me a moment of peace in the chaos. I am mourning the loss of a better future for my child, but I will persevere for him. He deserves better and is my reason to keep up the fight.
I'm oddly at peace with everything. I went to the movies because I knew watching election results would give me anxiety and when I opened my phone afterward and saw how things were going, I realized, well this isn't good. I watched a few minutes of election coverage, got too anxious and just watched hockey instead.
He won overwhelmingly, and my views and what I think simply does not align with what the country wants.
I'm feeling some anger at the Hopium industrial complex. The ones who made $$$ telling us no matter what everything was going great, the polls were all wrong and she was going to win. I hope they face a reckoning.
I know this might be the opposite of what you want us to do, but I'm using this opportunity to take a break from following politics so much. The last 9+ years have been exhausting and it just feels like nothing matters. It's time to take a step back and focus on things that make me happy, instead of what has felt like sugar high that mean nothing, followed by crushing lows.
Thank you again, Amber, in the midst of the despair from last night, I was remembering our Zoom call from Monday and the coping techniques Dr. Mindy was teaching us and I found it to be helpful.
Love you so much, thank you. I truly think I’ve gone through EVERY..STAGE…OF GRIEF in the last 24 hours. Including CRYYYYYING. (Thanks for making space for that♥️ - another I know did not)
I’ll amend my mantra that we connected on: When WHOEVER wins, we fight. We knew this, just a somewhat different fight now.
Amber, you perfectly describe the emotions I’m cycling through: rage, fear, anxiety, a desperate search for reassurance that everything will be OK — even if we know it won’t. Thanks for all you do.
Hi Amber. Thank you for your words. I had an alphabet soup full of thoughts and feelings all too familiar. You helped to organize and put a thread through them. I truly now know in my bones what it means to keep calm and carry on. I’ve recently changed my life around and put me at the center. Triggers eventually become Glimmers. And then your mind and body become your own. In control of my own feelings I no longer wish to feed the machine and give away freely my time and energy while sacrificing my well being physical mental and most of all my spirit ,output and productivity.
The presidential election and outcome was exactly the polar opposite of what I had hoped and dreamed of … but today, the sun still shown and the birds fluttered and sung. We are a country divided. 330 million even by a third is a giant tent event no matter what was decided. This country is getting ready to hit a big year milestone. Here’s an idea. A project for America’s 250 years. We love our Country. Tell Her stories. Share the magic. The mysteries. Many unfortunately are tragic. We can try but we can’t bury the past. The spirits are in the air. Not going anywhere. A national project of our own. We’ll call it Project 2026. Co Written by the chix. City to city. Town to town. Our history. Our stories. Our friends. Our families. The fabric of America. The fabric of our lives. Threading the needle. Filled with life and love. One stitch at a time. Our signature and collective vision that fills and fuels our art, hearts, souls. A vision with no bounds, no limits.
After the fall of the twin towers, I learned back in 2001, if you change what you wanna do in the day to day because you’re afraid or giving in to the fear, then the terrorists won.
Out. Loud. Proud of who I am. What I’ve accomplished. The work Ive done. Who I’ll become. Nothing lasts forever. Elections come and go. Enduring is our love for the exuberance of life, liberty and the daily pursuit of happiness.
Badly. I’m in another country and thought it would help, but I truly couldn’t see past Tuesday. I’m trying to remember that my friends of color have been living this fight for generations.
I feel lost, beyond despondent, depressed or any other word to describe it. I have posted several things on Facebook today. I mean, like what else were we supposed to do? Every day, for the past few months, I would go by, in my electric wheelchair, homes with Trump/Vance flags and yard signs. It made me ill.
If we're being real here, we never had a chance in this election. We're going to be punished in perpetuity for electing Obama, and if you're old enough, for the resignation of Nixon. Since they've never refused to forgive us, (or me) then I refuse to forgive them.
I didn't cry until near the end of Kamala's concession speech. So much care. So much brilliance. So much love and our nation kicked that care in the teeth. I've felt that before in dysfunctional relationships... it's the most painful rejection... the discard of someone's essence, their dearness, their humanity. I appreciate very much this space you hold for us as we grieve and then get back to the work of caring for others, even when they hate us straight to our face.
Thank you for bringing a moment of calm to chaos.
I'm an utter mess today, and it's not helped by the fact that I am a therapist and many of my clients voted for Trump. Holding space for them and their feelings, in the midst of feeling mine, is very very hard right now.
So am I. It’s a tough profession. I also have clients who are celebrating and others who are terrified. Marshaling every way I can think of to take care of myself and stand in my truth while being loving toward all.
Me too. It's such a tricky balance.
How are you doing it, Amy & Sarah Jane? Are you angry at them? I would find it hard not to be. Trying to navigate my own feelings toward those who've created this situation...
I'm not really angry at them, either, because I notice how much anger and drama they have in their lives. They've been taught that anger and aggression is a strength, so one way I am fighting back is by seeing the humanity in them, and helping them to change their negative thought patterns. It's therapy as advocacy.
I'm glad you're doing that for people. I hope it has ripples.
I have to believe that it does.
No. Not angry at them. I’m angry at the people who manipulated them. It’s been eye opening to discover how targeted various populations’ vulnerabilities have been ; via algorithms behind social media.
Have you tried to present any of them with facts and how was that received?
i am grumpy. but super grateful to have spent the day with preschoolers and live in their world. it was a blessing to drop my rage at the door and be kind, gentle, and silly instead of full of fear and dread for a few hours.
Thank for giving me a moment of peace in the chaos. I am mourning the loss of a better future for my child, but I will persevere for him. He deserves better and is my reason to keep up the fight.
Thank you for all the work you've done.
I'm oddly at peace with everything. I went to the movies because I knew watching election results would give me anxiety and when I opened my phone afterward and saw how things were going, I realized, well this isn't good. I watched a few minutes of election coverage, got too anxious and just watched hockey instead.
He won overwhelmingly, and my views and what I think simply does not align with what the country wants.
I'm feeling some anger at the Hopium industrial complex. The ones who made $$$ telling us no matter what everything was going great, the polls were all wrong and she was going to win. I hope they face a reckoning.
I know this might be the opposite of what you want us to do, but I'm using this opportunity to take a break from following politics so much. The last 9+ years have been exhausting and it just feels like nothing matters. It's time to take a step back and focus on things that make me happy, instead of what has felt like sugar high that mean nothing, followed by crushing lows.
Thank you again, Amber, in the midst of the despair from last night, I was remembering our Zoom call from Monday and the coping techniques Dr. Mindy was teaching us and I found it to be helpful.
Your response to the election is spot on! No twiddling our thumbs, just promoting reasonable solutions to our complex problems!
Thank you, Amber!
I’m not even in the US but we watched the election results over dinner last night and I can’t stop crying. I can’t help but feel we’re next
Love you so much, thank you. I truly think I’ve gone through EVERY..STAGE…OF GRIEF in the last 24 hours. Including CRYYYYYING. (Thanks for making space for that♥️ - another I know did not)
I’ll amend my mantra that we connected on: When WHOEVER wins, we fight. We knew this, just a somewhat different fight now.
Amber, this was extraordinarily helpful to me. I so appreciate you writing and publishing it, and I’m grateful for your efforts and your courage.
Amber, you perfectly describe the emotions I’m cycling through: rage, fear, anxiety, a desperate search for reassurance that everything will be OK — even if we know it won’t. Thanks for all you do.
Hi Amber. Thank you for your words. I had an alphabet soup full of thoughts and feelings all too familiar. You helped to organize and put a thread through them. I truly now know in my bones what it means to keep calm and carry on. I’ve recently changed my life around and put me at the center. Triggers eventually become Glimmers. And then your mind and body become your own. In control of my own feelings I no longer wish to feed the machine and give away freely my time and energy while sacrificing my well being physical mental and most of all my spirit ,output and productivity.
The presidential election and outcome was exactly the polar opposite of what I had hoped and dreamed of … but today, the sun still shown and the birds fluttered and sung. We are a country divided. 330 million even by a third is a giant tent event no matter what was decided. This country is getting ready to hit a big year milestone. Here’s an idea. A project for America’s 250 years. We love our Country. Tell Her stories. Share the magic. The mysteries. Many unfortunately are tragic. We can try but we can’t bury the past. The spirits are in the air. Not going anywhere. A national project of our own. We’ll call it Project 2026. Co Written by the chix. City to city. Town to town. Our history. Our stories. Our friends. Our families. The fabric of America. The fabric of our lives. Threading the needle. Filled with life and love. One stitch at a time. Our signature and collective vision that fills and fuels our art, hearts, souls. A vision with no bounds, no limits.
After the fall of the twin towers, I learned back in 2001, if you change what you wanna do in the day to day because you’re afraid or giving in to the fear, then the terrorists won.
Out. Loud. Proud of who I am. What I’ve accomplished. The work Ive done. Who I’ll become. Nothing lasts forever. Elections come and go. Enduring is our love for the exuberance of life, liberty and the daily pursuit of happiness.
Zen is a state of being.
Freedom is more than just a word.
Janice Joplin said.
Thank you 🙏🏼 this is the message I needed in this moment. I love what your Mom shared 💜 adelante !!
Loved your whole share. So much goodness that I shared forward. Thank you.
Badly. I’m in another country and thought it would help, but I truly couldn’t see past Tuesday. I’m trying to remember that my friends of color have been living this fight for generations.
I feel lost, beyond despondent, depressed or any other word to describe it. I have posted several things on Facebook today. I mean, like what else were we supposed to do? Every day, for the past few months, I would go by, in my electric wheelchair, homes with Trump/Vance flags and yard signs. It made me ill.
If we're being real here, we never had a chance in this election. We're going to be punished in perpetuity for electing Obama, and if you're old enough, for the resignation of Nixon. Since they've never refused to forgive us, (or me) then I refuse to forgive them.