By Rev. Carol Bodeau
Dear Friends,
It is currently the late afternoon of November 5th, 2024. I considered waiting until the polls close, and the election results begin to come in, to write this message. And then I decided otherwise.
For starters, it’s hard to say exactly when the outcome of the election will be clear. When I was a kid, elections were pretty clear-cut and we pretty much knew how things had ‘turned out’ before going to bed on election night. Certainly we knew the next day. But that isn’t the world we live in. So maybe we’ll know sooner, maybe we’ll know later.
More importantly, I’ve decided to make a sort of philosophical/theological stand by writing this blog based, not on the outcome of the elections—something external, over which I have almost no control—but instead based on things that I think are more long-lasting than the political drama of the day. Rather than focusing on what might go wrong, or right, ‘out there,’ I am choosing to focus on what’s going right ‘in here.’ At Westside, in my family, in my own mind and heart.
Regardless of the outcome of this election, I will still:
--call my parents at lest once each week, to check on them
--message my kids regularly, to stay in tune with their lives
--take care of my animals, my home, and my own physical and mental health
--read books and listen to media that inspire me
--enjoy living on a farm, baking my own bread, and cooking foods that came from my garden
--say things to encourage, uplift and inspire others
--live my values within whatever limits, parameters and circumstances life affords me
--believe that while change is inevitable, it can always be for the better…and that I can be an agent of such change
--be curious about what makes people do what they do, think what they think, and be willing to ask sincere, respectful questions
--keep learning and growing
--love
I hope that, no matter where you are politically, no matter how things look in the political world from where you are sitting, you are able to make a list like the one above. What are the things that truly define you, regardless of circumstances? Who are you, beyond the struggles and troubles of the day? And what values do you want to embody, no matter what is happening? We can’t control many things, but these things we do have some power over.
Wishing you peace and clarity today and always,
Rev. Carol
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