A new perspective on hard times

A new perspective may help. Over the past year, I have struggled to deal with the daily press analysis about the damage being done by the current administration. My concerns about the President, his appointees and many complicit members of Congress have only deepened over time, as they work to destroy policies that reflect my values.

Continuing to brood over every misstep is untenable. The strength needed to overcome will not come from being overwhelmed. What can we do?

1. We can personally model and defend the values we believe in during our interactions with each other. For example, let’s celebrate that we can each treat all human beings well despite what our current government “models.”

2. We can find ways within our spheres of influence to appreciate and support the work of those who are battling on a larger scale.

Every day teachers are striving to teach inclusion and fair play despite the actions of our current government. Thank you!

We have Gov. Inslee, Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, and members of Congress like Denny Heck who are battling hard on our behalf. Thank you!

Let’s recall that after times of struggle, those who have provided inspiration are the ones we celebrate and remember. Martin Luther King Jr. and Anne Frank come to mind. Let’s be informed by the negative, and then focus more intentionally on the positive, in order to inspire the courage and strength needed to move forward in better directions. We can do this.

This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 4:09 PM with the headline "A new perspective on hard times."