See our Privacy Policy
Δ
Gratefulness
To love in the face of fear is bold. To love in the face of hatred is courageous. To make the choice to love even more deeply and widely in the face of moments of anguish is a heroism of the heart that may be our only hope to heal this world.
I re-visit these words, written after the Orlando shootings, in the midst of a heart today that honestly feels too shattered to muster much courage or vigor, yet I still know this truth about love’s tenacity in the marrow of my bones.
I am shocked about the results of the Presidential election. I am filled with bewilderment and fear. The generous, jubilant heart that was so accessible on voting day yesterday, feels like it belonged to a different person I cannot find right now…
At the same time, I know that when I am cut off from the fullness of my own loving heart, I have let the fear and separateness “win,” and it hurts me more than it helps. And so, aching and stretching for some form of healing, I know that the only choice is to muster my courage and rally my hurting self enough to love, still – and to love big.
Love is a verb – it wants to be active. It wants to be witnessed, felt, demonstrated, shared, flung and sung from treetops and from the bottom of our toes. Love does not want to be subordinate to grief and hurt – it wants to be part of it, it wants to be known as the cause of it. Love longs to be woven into the entire emotional fabric of our lives – winding and revealing itself alongside every thread that is not love. This big, messy, beautiful tapestry of our hearts is the truth.
So, today – the day after the election – I pledge to be bewildered, with love. To feel vulnerable, with love. To be heartbroken, with love. To be afraid, with love. To be shattered by love. And to keep listening deeply into it all, trying to know what is called for; what I – with my big, strong, broken heart – can do to help heal our broken world.
Tennessee Williams said, “The world is violent and mercurial — it will have its way with you. We are saved only by love — love for each other and the love that we pour into the art we feel compelled to share: being a parent; being a writer; being a painter; being a friend. We live in a perpetually burning building, and what we must save from it, all the time, is love.”
Today, I hope that we will let love have its way with us. In the midst of everything, let us reach out to listen, and stay deeply connected, to each other. Facing anything difficult, we can face it better with linked arms and hearts. And, for the sake of continuing to help shape a future for which all people can be truly grateful, I hope that we will, over and over, choose to “save” love – for ourselves, for each other, and for the world.
Grateful Living Practice:
STOP: Let yourself become quiet in the midst of all that is unfolding around and inside you. Let yourself take a few breaths to help anchor your awareness in your body. Exhale deeply with an awareness of how your breath renews you in every moment…
LOOK: Gently notice all that is working in your body as you breathe. Notice what you are feeling and thinking and practice holding it compassionately instead of with any idea that it should be different. Practice becoming a welcoming home for your emotions right now. Just greet each feeling and thought and let yourself be grateful for how alive you are through the fullness of whatever you feel. Be gentle with yourself.
GO: Consider:
Kristi Nelson is the Executive Director of A Network for Grateful Living. To read more about her visit this page.
Please log in or Create a Profile to post a comment.
Thank you for this beautiful piece.
I came in this morning, very sad and disheartened, after hearing a story about all of the overt hate and racism going on in schools all over the United States. Also sad that the President Elect has not come out and whole heartedly condemned what is going on in the United States. Thank you for reminding me that there are many that do not support what is going on. Thank you for reminding us that there is something we can do. We can live with Love. I can make a difference in the way I act towards o...
I came in this morning, very sad and disheartened, after hearing a story about all of the overt hate and racism going on in schools all over the United States. Also sad that the President Elect has not come out and whole heartedly condemned what is going on in the United States. Thank you for reminding me that there are many that do not support what is going on. Thank you for reminding us that there is something we can do. We can live with Love. I can make a difference in the way I act towards others, in the way I choose to live my life. I pledge to myself that I will live with love and positivity.
Adore’ – What a moving post you have written, and it is a beautiful testimony to our work and to you, yourself. Thank you so much for letting us know that we make a difference by reminding you that you can make a difference! Your openness and big heart are moving.
Captiva – I am glad that this spoke to you. Thanks for reflecting on it.
Thank you. Needed to read this. <3
So glad to be here for you Chelsea. Please stay connected.
Kristi - When I read today's quote for the day, by Rachel Naom Remen: "Our listening creates a sanctuary for the homeless parts within another person." I immediately thought of you and your post yesterday.
In your speaking out you gave voice to - gave expression to what many of us were feeling, but were too stunned, confused, and lost in our jumbled up feelings and just couldn't lay it out the way you did. And because you did so, I picked up actual pen and paper and wrote a couple of ...
Kristi – When I read today’s quote for the day, by Rachel Naom Remen: “Our listening creates a sanctuary for the homeless parts within another person.” I immediately thought of you and your post yesterday.
In your speaking out you gave voice to – gave expression to what many of us were feeling, but were too stunned, confused, and lost in our jumbled up feelings and just couldn’t lay it out the way you did. And because you did so, I picked up actual pen and paper and wrote a couple of notes of condolences to friends. We got together and we made plans to supp0rt the Office of the President, support our country, and move on. What you said was, and is, so valuable. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Cheers, Ella
Ella – Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your process and actions are a huge inspiration.”
Here in Uganda we feel shocked by the results of your elections in the USA and share pain with you but at the same time very grateful to listen and to watch how things are unfolding - people's willingness to accept the reality with open mind and heart and will to move on. If it were here in my part of the world, people would have taken to streets violently. We are very grateful to learn this lesson of painful and peaceful acceptance believing that God writes straight in crooked lines. I am very...
Here in Uganda we feel shocked by the results of your elections in the USA and share pain with you but at the same time very grateful to listen and to watch how things are unfolding – people’s willingness to accept the reality with open mind and heart and will to move on. If it were here in my part of the world, people would have taken to streets violently. We are very grateful to learn this lesson of painful and peaceful acceptance believing that God writes straight in crooked lines. I am very grateful to find and join this network – I felt a need for a model how to be, and to express my gratefulness – and then God opened the door to me through a friend who alerted me about this site. God bless you.
Elizabeth – What a beautiful reflection and reminder about the gifts of our lives here. Thank you for helping us to keep our perspective. And welcome. We are so glad that you found us.
This political campaign has shown us how hard it is to see the Other, whatever "Us" we are on.
We have this "crisis" in California now. 68 million trees have died because of the pine bark beetle. Whole mountainsides are brown with dead trees. The year-round fire hazard is terrifying for those who live here to say nothing of the loss of luscious greenery.
But wait. What if you were voting for the beetles? What if you had a bumper sticker, a sign on your front lawn, went to meetings. Y...
This political campaign has shown us how hard it is to see the Other, whatever “Us” we are on.
We have this “crisis” in California now. 68 million trees have died because of the pine bark beetle. Whole mountainsides are brown with dead trees. The year-round fire hazard is terrifying for those who live here to say nothing of the loss of luscious greenery.
But wait. What if you were voting for the beetles? What if you had a bumper sticker, a sign on your front lawn, went to meetings. You would be ecstatic at the current situation. Go beetles!
Nature doesn’t take sides. It is ebb and flow. In fact, in some parts of the state, the beetles have no more trees to eat.
I lived in a house that got burned through during a forest fire. When we returned from evacuation were crestfallen at the charred remains all around us. Six weeks later we heard a strange but familiar sound: Crickets! The crickets were already back. Twenty years later you should see how nature has reclaimed what was once devastated.
Keep listening for the Crickets and love those beetles!
Thank you Roger for bringing us “back to the Earth,” our teacher. Wise words…
Kristi – thank you for your words to bring this back into a manageable focus. I am bewildered, afraid, and I am working on my “muscle” to open my heart. With deep gratitude, Kristen
Thank you Kristen. You are in abundant and good company. There is comfort in this…
Thanks for these words, Kristi. This is a welcome message for those of us who are feeling at a loss today.
Matt – Thank you for your note. I hope that staying busy loving helps to heal some of the loss for you, as it does for me.
I appreciate your words. They’re all good, but I sense a feeling of How could they, those awful Trump supporters be so wrong. I thought this was a living and supportive community about gratitude. I guess that only applies if you agree with the political views of the majority here which I do not. So as a Trump supporter, Am I not welcome here? If so, then I’m grateful I know this now.
Eddie – thank you so much for being engaged in this dialogue, and for sharing your experience with us. Alongside millions of others, I have been through and learned a lot in these last, very full 36 hours. My intention in sharing rather raw, immediate feelings about the election results was not to make you feel excluded from the embrace of our work and I am sorry that this was the result. My hope was to convey the belief that we will all be called to attend and love “even more deeply and wid...
Eddie – thank you so much for being engaged in this dialogue, and for sharing your experience with us. Alongside millions of others, I have been through and learned a lot in these last, very full 36 hours. My intention in sharing rather raw, immediate feelings about the election results was not to make you feel excluded from the embrace of our work and I am sorry that this was the result. My hope was to convey the belief that we will all be called to attend and love “even more deeply and widely” in these times. I was stating that I am called to this task as much as anyone. You have challenged me to see this mandate to love and listen in the broadest of terms. I thank you. Our mission and values guide me, our team, and the gratefulness community every day…each in our own ways. I invite you to immerse yourself in these foundational principles and join us in the daily practices which advance them in our lives, relationships, and the world. In this spirit, you are always welcome here. Warmly – Kristi http://demo.gratefulness.org/about/values-mission-vision/
Thank you for your kind response! This is a great website and I truly am grateful for it and for you!!
You are welcome. This interaction means a lot in this moment. Thank you. Peace.
Hi Eddie, While I am not a Trump supporter, and was disappointed with the election results, I believe there is room here for everyone regardless of political viewpoint. I hope you remain a part of this community and know that your presence is valued. Best wishes, Matt
Thanks for your words and sentiments Matt.
Hi Eddie, I certainly welcome your presence here and don't imagine that the gratefulness community is only looking to be represented by one political view. Wherever we stand on the political spectrum, I think we can all agree that it has been a painful election process exposing deep fissures in our country. The mudslinging detracted from the very real pain that our citizens are feeling- on both "sides". While "my" candidate didn't win, a big part of that heartbreak is knowing that both sides h...
Hi Eddie, I certainly welcome your presence here and don’t imagine that the gratefulness community is only looking to be represented by one political view. Wherever we stand on the political spectrum, I think we can all agree that it has been a painful election process exposing deep fissures in our country. The mudslinging detracted from the very real pain that our citizens are feeling- on both “sides”. While “my” candidate didn’t win, a big part of that heartbreak is knowing that both sides have legitimate pain and feel so far from understanding the other. My hope is that this unifies us all to work harder to listen and support each other as fellow citizens. I believe this is the space where we feel our shared humanity first.
Blessings, Star
Star – As usual. you have beautifully articulated our principles. Thank you deeply. In the spirit of what you cite – “unity” and “our shared humanity.”
Write an entry in your private gratefulness journal
This site is brought to you by A Network for Grateful Living, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donations are fully tax deductible in the U.S.A.
© 2000 - 2024, A Network for Grateful Living
Website by Briteweb
