Where do we go from here?

Reflecting on November 5th — my birthday wish for you.

Hello my friend,

Joy - Disappointment

Hope - Fear

Kindness - Anger

Freedom - Confinement

Control - Chaos

Compassion - Apathy

Energy - Exhaustion

Empathy - Avoidance

I felt every extreme of these opposing emotions on November 5 — for me it wasn’t just Election Day, it was my 51st birthday. If there could be a perfect day, this was it. Lots of calls and messages from friends and family, time to work, time to play tennis and workout with friends, and time for a delicious dinner out with my husband. I felt calm and connected, energetic, fully at ease, and grateful, oh so grateful. 

I didn’t really tune into the election until the evening when it became clear where this was headed. Like 69 million other people in this country, I watched with a deep, profound sadness as the swing states turned red on the map. And while I attempted sleep, the election came to its fateful conclusion. 

When I left my bed the next day, the chaos, the anger, the exhaustion tried to rush in, but thankfully my tank still had some of the beauty and calm of the previous day to keep me (To keep me what? I was going to add a word here, but somehow “keep me” just feels right.)

Having this full spectrum of emotions packed into a 24-hour period is an extreme way to learn a lesson. I don’t recommend it. But, I realized something that I want to share with you, my sweet reader:

Live every day like it’s your birthday — find moments to fill your tank with joy, love, and connection.

We have an opportunity to be born every day, to channel our energy toward love and understanding, to do work that matters, to be kind and compassionate, to create joyful moments, to find wonder in nature and in each other, and to rest at the end knowing we’ve done our very best.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading and for sharing this space with me.

With love,

Marissa

It’s a new day. The sun rises on my train ride from Connecticut to Boston.

Two songs to usher in a new day:

Love is Tall by Oshima Brothers

New Day by Alicia Keys