Knowing this would be another consequential week … I spent the weekend gardening.
Gardening is perhaps not the right term for it. It was more like frantically planting the 18 pounds of bulbs that I purchased before the ground freezes in the impending Polar Vortex.
But, even though there’s too much work awaiting me, and too many things on my to-do list, it was the right thing to do.
I thought that post-election, life would get just a little slower. The opposite happened.
My to-do list has exploded daily, with new projects, initiatives, launches. Though I get a dizzying number of things done each day, even more are added. So I’ve been running on a bit of a hamster wheel lately.
I’ll bet you can relate.
So spending just a few hours tucking crocuses, daffodils, and species tulips into a blanket of turf felt so … extravagant.
And you know how much I love gardening. The hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of bulbs that I planted will sleep for a bit – and then emerge in March or April and dazzle me with their bright and shiny faces. That magic always amazes me.
That there’s a brilliant flower tucked up inside a tiny, papery nugget which will only emerge when the time is right has always felt like a miracle.
And that they not only come up every year, but grow more robust – anchoring themselves into the slope of the yard, multiplying and creating great drifts of color as they spread – is even more impressive to me.
All it requires is advance planning, a little time, a little effort, some patience, and some faith.
There’s a lesson there for us, too, I think.
I was thinking about all of our work, as I dug those hundreds of tiny holes. How much preparation it’s taken. How much patience. How much time. And how much faith.
Back in 2016, nobody thought an entire army of “Resisters” would crop up out of nowhere, creating organizations and entirely new communities to push back against Republican extremism. It took some time – but now we’re anchored into the democratic and Democratic infrastructure.
We’re established, strong, robust.
We’ve multiplied and combined in our own ways – creating great drifts of impact that quite literally have changed the world and made it more beautiful.
The similarities made me smile.
I’ve been privileged to be in a position where I can see the vast swaths of beauty you’ve helped create.
But, just as daffodils and crocuses need a period of rest so they can make the biggest, most beautiful flowers …
So do you.
Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice. It’s the longest night, and the shortest day.
It’s the perfect day to rest and reflect on the last year.
And it’s a perfect day to kick off a longer period of rest, so that as the new year ticks over you can come into it bright and ready to face the sunshine.
So this week, I’m holding off on “actions” per se. Instead, I’m sending you to the January 6th Committee’s report, which is a lengthy read. Frankly, it’s a great snowy day read – helpful if you’re the path of the upcoming winter storm and stuck inside for a spell.
I think you’ll find it not only informative, but validating. That’s a gift in its own way, isn’t it? Here’s the link: https://january6th.house.gov/report-executive-summary (Here’s the same document in PDF form: https://www.npr.org/2022/12/19/1143650032/read-an-executive-summary-of-the-jan-6-committees-final-report)
To all who celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas, have a lovely holiday!
But no matter what traditions you do or don’t celebrate this time of year, I hope you take a few extra beats this week to recharge. My goodness, you deserve it.
See you next week.
~Michele
Small Deeds Done 