This week's Rage & Softness

here’s what made me rage and what kept me soft this past week

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Dearest Readers,

I thought I would start these out by writing a bit of an informal letter to you before rushing into the rage and softness of the week. Also, a note about this column of my newsletter going forward: I will not be sharing every terrible thing that happens within the Trump presidency in “Rage” section. For three reasons: 1) there is too much; 2) I am determined to not let my rage cup be filled solely by one man; and 3) there is a lot of other shit to be pissed about. I might share some things, but I refuse to engage in the “shock and awe” spectacle. If you don’t see me put something about some bullshit executive order in here, it’s not that I missed it—it’s that I can’t concentrate on only the U.S.’s shitty government. Also, I’m not a news source and there are plenty of places you can go online to read about that if you so wish.

There is a lot of terrible shit happening. There is also a lot of rad shit happening. Our job is to hold the both/and—no matter how uncomfortable that can feel. I’m not speaking about this from any bullshit “positivity” framework, but rather—we need to find joy and hope amongst the rubble.

I hope this column doesn’t make anyone feel like things are hopeless—that’s not my intent. Rather, I would love for you to focus on one things that you can do; one thing that speaks to you that you can take on some of the fight.

Last week felt really heavy and I know I’m not alone. I am unable to keep up with it all and I’m giving myself grace around this—as I hope you are, too. We each need to find our personal balance between being too informed and oblivious.

I had my first death doula training on Thursday night and it was such a beautiful virtual space to be in during these times. There were 52 of us, including 5 facilitators. There were folks from all over the country (and even two others from Wisconsin!). It reaffirmed in me that this is the right time to do this. It’s probably the best time to do it. I’m excited about offering various forms of grief services in the future.

Without further ado, here’s what made me rage and what kept me soft this week:

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