Dear Editor,

The other day, after a challenging game of mountain croquet, we were sitting around talking about the state of the world. We agreed that it’s a discouraging time. In the midst of the pandemic, our economy is sinking, our global environment is in tatters, our Earth is in a climate emergency, and our leaders are mostly doing nothing. People everywhere are stressed, despairing, depressed, and short-tempered.

We were wondering: What can we do to make things a bit better? Deciding it’s futile and doing nothing isn’t an answer - that simply guarantees that the worst will happen. So, what to do?

Our host, Brent Warren, offered the best answer I’ve heard. He said, “Just be kind.” Kindness lightens the atmosphere around us, nourishes relationships (even momentary ones), and is the oxygen that we all need now. It’s easier to be kind if we remember that everyone is human and imperfect, that others may be dealing with issues we know nothing about, and that being kind is also nourishing for ourselves.

What else? We can support good organizations, work to improve our national leadership, and work to heal the Earth and each other.

The effort may seem hopeless, but even if it fails, it’s still very much worth doing, because (1) you may be planting seeds that will bear fruit much later, (2) you’ll be touching and inspiring other lives in ways you may never know, and, most importantly, (3) it’s the right thing to do.  So do the work, follow through as needed, and then let go. This is a lighter, freer, and more effective way. 

Arden Buck
Nederland