Wednesday, November 16, 2016

And So We Talk About Trees

Luskentyre Beach, Isle of Harris, Scotland

And So We Talk About Trees

When I began this blog back in 2008, my father had not been dead a year.  The world economy had taken a nosedive and halted my busy interior design practice in its tracks.  I took up writing again, a habit I had always enjoyed in the past, for something creative to do.   Funnily enough, the more I wrote the more I had to write about.  The House of Edward became a place for me to work out how I felt about things.  I found it enormously satisfying to capture and share the quiet little moments of beauty that I found in my everyday life.  And as is the case with Beauty, the more you notice and appreciate, the more is given to you. As my blog was a reflection of my life, there have been issues I’ve addressed here that sometimes deviated into darker waters, but these issues were, I felt, too vital to ignore while remaining true to the values I hold dear.  I have treasured my interactions with wonderful, interesting, funny, creative, precious people all across the globe and wouldn’t change these eight years for anything.

Last Wednesday, I awoke to a different world, in a country I no longer recognized.  I had heard for a long time that it would be impossible for the United States of America to elect the man we elected last week.  His campaign was considered laughable to most intelligent people of my acquaintance.  But I feared the worst.  For months I watched as he lifted the lid off vitriolic ugliness and hate, watched as those who harbored such dark feelings finally felt the validation they craved, watched as ignorance, racism and bigotry slithered from their dank hiding places to revel in the light of day.  I feared there were more of these people than our society realized and last week we saw that there were.  

America has now elected a man without even a rudimentary knowledge of our constitution or the way our government works.  We have elected a man devoid of empathy, respect and the most basic common decency.  How can we tell our children that these are the golden qualities necessary for humanity when the person who stands for our country devalues and disrespects them so utterly?  I am ashamed beyond measure; ashamed to be American, ashamed to be white, ashamed to call myself a Christian person when so many who profess that in kind supported this vile man whose every word and deed is utterly antithetical to those of Christ.  As it was in the civil rights battles of the 50’s and 60’s, the white evangelical church finds itself once again not only on the wrong side of history, but the wrong side of scripture as well.  A Christian person never stands on the same side as the Ku Klux Klan.  Never.  I can only pray that in their slavish devotion to the republican party those supporters of our now president-elect who also profess the Christian faith have not damaged the integrity of that faith forever.  Make no mistake, the face of Donald Trump is not the face of God.  God is love, not hate.  God is compassion, not ridicule.  God is mercy, not malevolence. God values wisdom, not ignorance.  Humility, not arrogance.  Kindness, not hostility.

I will be frank with you,  there were moments last week when it seemed to me impossible to continue with my little essays here when we stare into such a chasm as this.  The House of Edward appeared to my eyes almost unbearably trivial.  But then on Friday morning, I was sitting alone in a beautiful room high up in the mountains, awaiting the arrival of a group of fierce, intelligent women who were there for me to teach them Brioche knitting.  I felt depleted and fragile so I reached for my phone to call one of my good friends for a bit of encouragement and support.  This lady is a former client, we first met when I redecorated her house from top to bottom thirteen years ago. We became fast friends and she is a bright light in my life.  A merry, gracious, elderly lady who radiates God’s love and wisdom through every pore of her being, and whose life is spent doing good for other people - joyfully, gleefully, with great humor and mischievous spunk.  I always leave her side bolstered and completely certain of the goodness in the world.  I listened as the phone rang and a strange voice answered.  I asked to speak to my friend and was told she had died on election day.  My knees buckled and I began to weep.

My first inclination was to grab my bags and flee.  I paced the empty room like a caged animal for several long minutes.  Then I saw her face in front of me and I knew I couldn’t run.  She would have been furious if I’d even tried.  The only thing I could do was share my knowledge with these women.  That’s what I was there for - that’s what I’m here for - to give what I can of myself to make someone else’s world a little bit more beautiful.  And I suppose that’s when I decided to continue on with this blog.  It may not seem like much in the face of a world so ugly and mean, but it’s all I have.  And it seems somehow necessary, now more than ever.

Who knows what we will face in the coming four years.  I confess I am daily working to stem the flow of dread and keep my head above water as events continue to unfold.  But now more than ever it seem to me important to hold up our little wild bouquets of Goodness, Beauty and Light.   It remains my hope that this blog, trivial though it may be, will continue to be a soft place to land for the weary, a place to laugh - and occasionally cry - and a place to stand up for the values so essential to the human spirit.  A place where, as the poet says below, we can always talk about trees.

Much love, 
Pamela, and Edward too

***
What Kind of Times Are These
by Adrienne Rich

There's a place between two stands of trees where the grass grows uphill
and the old revolutionary road breaks off into shadows
near a meeting-house abandoned by the persecuted
who disappeared into those shadows.

I've walked there picking mushrooms at the edge of dread, but don't be fooled
this isn't a Russian poem, this is not somewhere else but here,
our country moving closer to its own truth and dread,
its own ways of making people disappear.

I won't tell you where the place is, the dark mesh of the woods
meeting the unmarked strip of light—
ghost-ridden crossroads, leafmold paradise:
I know already who wants to buy it, sell it, make it disappear.

And I won't tell you where it is, so why do I tell you
anything? Because you still listen, because in times like these
to have you listen at all, it's necessary
to talk about trees.

58 comments:

  1. Please continue to blog... I live in British Columbia Canada and am feeling your pain.. I've been out of sorts all week ! Think positive kind thoughts...

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  2. My heart is breaking for you! So sorry for the loss of your friend. I knew something was wrong, more than T winning the election. Thank you for continuing your blog because many people love it and find a little bit of peace and beauty through it. It adds so much to my life to read your essays and see bits of your lovely cottage. Life can be tough and it's wonderful to enter your world through your blog. I'll keep you in my prayers.

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  3. I for one, am bolstered beyond measure by the sentiments expressed in your blog. This past week has been more than I think one could bear if there weren't you and others(so many others)there to verify my feelings of dread and yes, I'll say it, fear for what's to come. I must believe, however, that Love will win...We must redouble our efforts everyday to show love, wherever and whenever. It is the only action I am able to focus on for now. Thank you, Pamela...for all the love you share between your words. Jeane

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    1. Jeane, I could not have expressed it better, so I won't try. Thank you for writing my thoughts.

      Pamela, thank YOU for being part of my heart and soul. I resonate so strongly with your words and I am SO GLAD that you have found strength to keep writing.

      From the bottom of my heart I believe that there are enough good people in our country to get us through this.

      Blessings to us all.

      With much love,
      Kay

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  4. I live in Ontario, Canada and felt crushed by the election results, as well. Please carry on blogging--seeking and creating beauty is not trivial.

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  5. After waiting for this election for two decades, it will take some time for me to recover. Some of us were able to stop a war. My hope is that the compassionate, younger generation will rise up, rise above and hold those who voted for Trump and the man himself accountable. Trumpland or Amerika as we called it in the sixties, has changed for the worse. Buddhas's last words were these - "All things pass away. Strive on". We must strive on.

    I am sorry your friend has passed and for the loss you feel. The day must have been unbearable. Love the poem.

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  6. My feelings are similar to yours, Pamela. It has been such an awful week. After staying up for the results election night and feeling sick as it became obvious, I woke up Wednesday covered in hives. I cried during Hillary's concession speech, and then my husband came back from the grocery store to say that our oldest friend and neighbor (we got him to buy the cabin next to ours where we have retired) had called from visiting his elderly mother in our hometown. But it was not about his mother. His younger son, who lived in another state, had died of a heroin overdose. Later in the week we heard of Leonard Cohen's passing. And since last weekend, wildfires have burned in our area and we are shrouded in smoke. If I was the dramatic type, I would say it rather feels like the ending of the world.

    I wonder whether to retreat or engage. I try to focus on beauty and spend much time gazing at wonderful photos on Instagram and practicing photography and sharing my own amateur attempts at capturing the beauty around me (@hillonthehouse on Instagram). I need to pay less attention to the media and take a news vacation. (I digitally subscribe to a couple of prominent newspapers and reading them seems like self flagellation these days.) For some reason, I find it hard to extricate myself. Being an informed citizen has its drawbacks. So, hopefully, I can focus on the good and the beautiful and the positive, regain my equilibrium and be able to laugh freely at life's delights and absurdities. I'm glad you're staying here too. I love the feeling of kindred spirits found here and a shared aesthetic. I look forward to more of your evocative and lyrical writing and the gifts of those delightful finds you bring.

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  7. I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for writing intelligent and thoughtful blog entries. At this time,I can not imagine being very eloquent with words - but you most certainly are.

    Here is where I am taking solace: 630,877. At 6:30 on 11/13 in Pacific time zone, that is HRC popular vote lead over T. I spent a couple days last week thinking I was alone in my grief. I am not. This election is not a mandate. It is up to the 60 million or so supporters to lift our heads high and continue to take the high road. If not for HRC legacy, or our own sanity, or the future of the country - whatever the motivation, it is time to continue to fight the good fight.

    Please continue sharing your writing. I have been looking forward to this post since 11/9. Many thanks!

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  8. My sympathies on your loss.
    Thank you for this post. As an overseas visitor to your blog, it gives me another perspective on America

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  9. We have never met Pamela as I live on the other side of the world to you but over the last few years of reading your beautiful words on your blog, I feel I know you. I have discovered new authors and books through your blog, booked a trip to London and Scotland next year due to your photos and stories and I have learnt so much about America through you. You are the person I look to for inspiration through your always kind, thoughtful and intelligent words and I am so grateful that you continue to let us see into your world and your soul. I am so sorry for your pain over the last week, especially with the loss of your special friend. Wishing you love and kind thoughts from Australia and thank you for being you. Lisa xxxx

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    1. These are my sentiments as well and so beautifully said. My sympathies Pamela on the loss of your friend. This election has affected people all over the world.

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  10. I believe that every small piece of goodness and kindness makes a huge difference in the face of ugliness and cruelty. I love to dip into your blog and I learn so much, sometimes about the beauty of my own country, especially Scotland. Please carry on doing what you do best, spreading joy and positivity.
    Jean

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  11. I am not a writer, but am so thankful to have writers to turn to in times like these. While I do not look at life with the same filters as you, your feelings about this election feel surprisingly similar. I thank you for continuing to articulate your thoughts because you give voice to those of us who want to shout aloud our frustration and disappointment but lack both the platform and the words.

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  12. Dearest Pamela,
    Sending love and hugs and my sympathy in the loss of your dear friend. Perhaps she's better out of it - that's a defeatist thing to say I know.
    Hard not to fall into despondency.
    You write so eloquently about how so many of us feel.
    The only good thing is that we are reaching out to our dear friends and holding them closer.
    I didn't realize how ugly things were here .....
    I can't sleep
    have been crying a lot....
    But we must MUST stagger on. After all 50% of us did not vote for him.
    I miss my furry friend whose fur I would have snuggled in to.
    Hugs to you and yours and Edward and Apple and thanks for your splendid blog always!

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  13. Dear Pamela, I am so sorry for your lost of your dear friend. As far as the election, I believe that God is still in control. We need to continue to love one another and treat each other with respect. At 75 years of age I have witnessed many things in the past, but as long as we keep God first in our lives, He will take care of each of us. Love your blog and look forward to seeing what you write and hopefully a glimpse of Edward.
    Connie

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    1. Well, if God is in control, I wonder what he had in mind about this election. The people elected him, not God.
      God is probably so disappointed in this nation.

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  14. I'm so glad that you will continue with the blog. I too, am horrified at the election results. What gives me comfort is the fact that my 2 twenty-something year old sons are
    horrified too. And I know that they and most younger people will stand up for the people
    who don't share the same rights that they do. So there is some light in the darkness.
    I am so sorry for the loss of your friend.

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  15. Pamela, this is the most thoughtful blog that could ever be written. It is hard to believe that there are so many people in this country that feel so mean and hateful. Why or why could such an orange person tap such a vane of hate? Thank you for reminding us that someone in the south has such progressive ideas and a heart of gold. Here in the rust belt where I live,I am ashamed of all this carrying on. Maybe we should all move to California. Please keep doing what you do. I check on your every day. Rose in Ohio

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  16. Pamela, You are a beacon. Please continue to spread your lovely, hopeful light. It's needed now more than ever.

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  17. Pamela~ My sincerest sympathies for the loss of your dear friend. I am thankful that you have decided to continue this beautiful blog. While I agree with most of your beliefs and convictions I have to say that I am disturbed and distressed by the tone of your most recent writings. I understand the frustration and the feeling of wanting to strike out, to rail at the moon, but I fear that if you continue to post these types of pieces you will lose what you have crafted so beautifully. This blog is and always has been a place where we the reader could come for comfort and peace from the harsh realities of the world around us. I have always looked forward to every new entry with the anticipation of a beautifully wrapped gift. Now I don't know what I will find when I unwrap the package. I hope that you will take a step back and look at the past few posts. Please do not let this election ruin your objectivity and compassion. Please do not succumb to hateful speech and hurtful words...that is the very thing that you accuse the other side of doing. I have many friends of all races, religions, and sexual orientations...some of them are liberals and some of them are conservatives, some of them voted for Hillary and some of them voted for Trump. I love them all and respect their right to do what they feel is best for themselves and for their families. I don't think that any of them fit the descriptions that you spoke about in this last blog. Not all liberals are good and kind and loving and not all conservatives are hateful racist bigots. Now is the time to come together as a nation and to lift each other up with our deeds and our WORDS. Be as you always have been Pamela, a champion for the good and the positive and the beautiful. When I saw the cartoon that you posted from The New Yorker entitled "Finish Him" I felt a chill run through me....it was so unlike the person I have come to know through the blog. At the end of the day this is your blog and you have the right to speak your mind and pour out your heart...we are just your humble followers and fans. I pray that you can find some peace and move on. You and Edward have taken us on an enchanted journey for years,I hope that this was just a "detour" and that now we can find our path to peace together.

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    1. I appreciate your comment, Sheryl. And I understand your disappointment if you have not always found what you expected when you came to my blog in recent weeks. As I tried to explain in this latest post, some issues transcend my desire to merely entertain and divert my readers. Some issues are darker, but no less real, and I would not be true to myself, or what the blog has always been, if I did not deal with them. This election was the ultimate example. In the past I have had many friends who supported politicians I did not support, and though we might be on opposing sides of policies, I could accept our differences of opinion as just that, differences of opinion. But when a candidate for president says and does the things that our new president-elect did in this campaign, I cannot stand by and say nothing. It is not business as usual. It is not politics as usual. History has taught us what his words and actions mean and I cannot be guilty of ignoring them. The New Yorker cartoon of which you speak that I posted on IG was, I believe, meant to say “Finish” this dangerous rhetoric, “Finish” this slide towards fascism, “Finish” this taint on our democracy, and yes, I felt that way entirely. Perhaps it seemed too glib, but that’s how cartoons communicate deeper messages. I can appreciate that you feel there are those who supported this man who are not themselves racist or bigoted. I can only say that when his campaign was so obviously centered on those ideas and that type of speech, they cannot have the luxury of so easily removing that taint. We cannot claim he did not tell us who he was.

      As I tried to convey in this latest post, I think it is important to continue doing our best to share what light we can in these troubled days, and I do hope you will continue to join me on that journey. I have no intention of remaining immobile in the face of our country’s potential leap into darkness. I hope none of us will.

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    2. Yes, dear Pamela, I agree with you on this one. However much people claim they are not themselves bigoted and racist (and many of them probably aren't) and yet they are willing to set those feelings aside and support someone who is racist and bigoted.
      They can't take a pass on this one.
      Certainly not all liberals are kind and loving to all but they do not want people discriminated on grounds of their ethnicity or religion...
      How equally divided the electorate is.
      I've spent most of the last week in tears.
      This is not the America I love - with liberty and justice for all.
      In great sadness
      e

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    3. I have to say to Sheryl at Southern Seasons: It is not hate and hurtful speech to tell the truth when someone makes bigoted, racist, sexist, and nasty comments as trump did during his entire campaign. One needs to speak up. Accusing those who speak up against racism and bigotry as being hateful is quite misguided. And, in this day and age inexcusable.

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  18. I hail from the Canadian Prairies and too was boggled by the election. Please keep writing, its a haven for those who wander here. Much love.

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  19. Pamela,
    Keep on doing what you're doing!! I'm grateful to see my feelings put into words so eloquently. The results of this election are so hard to believe. I keep thinking something will prevent this from happening. He has so many lawsuits and has committed so many dreadful acts. How could this have happened? I know how it happened. We have taken a page from history and it looks like a repeat at times. Horrific.

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  20. I am sorry for the loss of your friend, Pamela. It is always difficult to lose friends, especially those that are anchors in our lives, even more so at a time as troubling as this time is. Please accept my condolences.
    I am happy to read that you will continue your writings here, where elegance and honesty, insight and inspiration, books and beauty and much, much more are wonders to indulge in and soft pleasures to consider.
    What a poignant poem and clarion call to talk about trees. I will keep this poem in my commonplace book. Thank you.

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  21. What an uplifting, encouraging post you have written. I am so sorry for the loss of a dear friend, Pamela.
    Your words I am sure speak for so many decent, honest Americans. I send you love from this side of the pond dear blogging friend.

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  22. You have no idea how much beauty you give to your readers. Please keep on writing. Thank you from the west coast of Canada.

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  23. I live in the UK but I too have felt all that you have expressed so eloquently and honestly.
    I love your Blog, I love your decency and integrity. There is not much that I can say to help or console, other than that for every vote that went to Trump there was one that didn't. I don't hate those who voted for him but I don't ever want racism, cruelty and bullying to be seen as things to be overlooked or excused. I will try to be part of the light and to "speak my truth even though my voice shakes" (it usually does, as do my fingers as I type this ! )

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  24. This week has been so hard, so hard I can't even begin to write it all down. So, a big thank you for writing it. Hope is a beautiful thing and I hope it keeps us all going.

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  25. I'm so happy you'll continue to post your beautiful words, including those that reflect unhappy circumstances. Like you, I've been crushed by the thought there are so many people that defend and vote for the negative approach that Trump takes towards his perceived issues with the country. As an optimist, I have to believe we'll get through this next 4 years and we must continue to perpetuate kindness and take the high road, in spite of the low road others travel.
    I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. That is so sad.
    Best to you.
    Karen

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  26. You have spoken so beautifully and eloquently, Pamela, what more can I add but a very heart felt thank you and sympathy for the loss of such a dear friend? And thank you to the many commenters who have also spoken so well. Much love your way, too.

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  27. I live in New Zealand and like all of the people who have replied to today's post I look forward to to your latest blog dropping in my inbox. Sometimes I read it before I get out of bed and other times I save it to immerse myself in later. The quality of your writing is substantially better than many of the so called "best sellers" I have dragged myself through recently.
    I am sorry to hear about your good friend, it is never easy hearing news like that. I am glad her teachings are still with you.
    I have watched the Presidential campaign with great interest. The vote is now in and there is nowhere to move except forward, together. I have been surprised by Trump's demeanour and I wonder if, truthfully, he is just as overwhelmed by his election as everyone on the opposing side was. I have hope that he will do the right thing, by America and the American people.... Fingers and toes crossed.
    In the South Island here we have just had another series of earthquakes and strong aftershocks. This has certainly changed our focus from the US elections and the aftermath.
    As someone very wise once said something along the lines of "today's headlines are tomorrow's fish and chip wrappers". We will continue to fight another day, whether rebuilding roads or fighting racism. It's who we are and what we do.
    My thoughts are with you, hang in there. Love to Edward.

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  28. Thank you, Pamela, for sticking with the blog. It means a great deal to me personally and to so many, many others. The thoughts you've expressed in this post have lightened my spirit a bit. I surprised myself at the level of sorrow and dread I've been feeling all week. When the thing you are certain will not -- cannot-- happen then actually does, one doesn't know where to turn for solace or an explanation. And one knows an explanation won't help. So it goes a long way in easing the sense of bewilderment to read your expression of those feelings, knowing the counted majority of us can and will get through it together.
    My condolences on the loss of your friend.

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  29. Pamela, I love your blog and share your horror at what has happened to our country. I've felt waves of new revulsion all week, like John Oliver described on his latest show, over the seemingly endless ramifications of electing this man. I wonder if those who voted for him really thought this through.
    While I initially started following your blog for the writing, the book recommendations, travel photos, and interior design tidbits, I really appreciate your political posts as well. I follow other beautiful blogs, mostly about interior design, and I have to say it seems just odd to read them now when they ignore this giant elephant in the room. I understand not wanting to offend readers, but this is just to serious to ignore. So thank you.

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  30. The world never needs love,beauty and light more than it does during the darkest times. Shine on, beloved girl. Shine on.

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  31. So sorry you lost a dear friend. She sounds wonderful.

    At hard times I find great solace in Shakespeare and this quote really resonates with me:

    "Give sorrow words. The grief that does not speak knits up the o'erwrought heart and bids it break."

    Thank you for your honesty, perception and eloquence.

    Sue

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  32. This is so rich, so welcome, and so necessary. Thank you. I also lost a dear friend this year, one who healed me, and supported me the long years it took to heal. I'd always felt as long as she lived, I could be sure of my own health and happiness. Now I find my health and happiness are solely my own to cultivate and possess. As you return to the simplicity of a life of compassionate creativity, so shall I, so shall we all. Yours is a sterling example of how we each should live: peacefully, so long as possible, but with a firm voice for decency, and honor, and all that is right when so much goes wrong.

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  33. Please, please, please continue with your blog !!! I have found strength in your writings and your wisdom more than once and it is so important to me...You are like a far away friend to whom I always think when everything is wrong around me. Now I pray that you will find the same power to go on as I have always found in you. From Romania, with my arms full with love, a big hug. Laura Vancea

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  34. In the face of your honesty, I haven't read one negative comment in response, so unusual (and refreshing) online. Clearly, you speak the truths for many. Your need for seeking the good and the true is shared. Going silent is the very last thing you should do! Take heart. Please continue to work your words as you articulate what many are feeling so we don't feel alone. There are dark times ahead. Let's face them together.

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  35. Welcome to the feelings many, many (apparently about half of the population) have felt for the last eight years. Anything will be an improvement.
    You are totally wrong to label these people racist, bigoted and ignorant.
    So sorry for the loss of your friend.

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    1. As I stated in a comment above, those who voted for racist, bigoted, ignorant ideas cannot claim innocence now. He never tried to hide his face from voters.

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    2. I will miss our articulate and thoughtful current president. He has been a class act. The comparison to the upcoming situation is shattering.

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  36. I am so very sorry to hear of the loss of your dear friend; it must have been extra painful on that particular day. I echo every word the others have said. In these dark days of the heart and soul as we struggle with resolve to find our way forward, being able to go to blogs of kindred spirits is immensely comforting. Your blog has always been special to many, and this past election year, it has meant even more. Thank you for being here and expressing our feelings so beautifully.......Dianne

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  37. Pamela - I am a regular morning reader of your blog and have your book on my night stand, as well as your Christmas one. You help me start my work day and I would truly be very sad and discourage if I didn't have you to turn to. I feel as though we're neighbors and your two beautiful dogs as my dogs. Please do continue with the blog; yours is the best way to bring beauty and calm to our world of today. I am very sorry for the loss of your friend --

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  38. The loss of a dear friend is always painful. The coincidence of it being on election day becomes even more poignant. Her wisdom and love has given you knew strength and purpose. If we all communicate with one another and show love, understanding, listen and talk, the world will be a better place. Teach and mentor youngsters, read to youngsters, teach them how to play and appreciate nature, let them learn to be good citizens of the world and, at least in my opinion, they will never have the hate, vitriol or misunderstanding of the fact that every human on this planet is in reality related to each other. Please keep writing and sharing with us.

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  39. You have expressed my feelings beautifully. Please continue to write this blog and to talk about what is just too important to ignore.

    So very sorry for the loss of your friend.

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  40. Good to see you back and in fighting form. Here in the UK 'They' expect us to segue into acceptance. As long as the word 'Why ?' exists they should be challenged and challenged and challenged again to explain what they're doing. That's the quiet, diligent responsibility that guardians of truth and civility now have to pursue. Of course the ones who will suffer most are the ones who believed that easy answers exist. What will they do when they finally understand they've been lied to ?

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  41. I've been reading your blog for several years. It is really scary right now. So many people seem proud of their hatefulness. I am going to go out of my way to be kind and supportive to everyone I see and to stand up to bullies if I see them picking on someone. Finding beauty and nature is more important now than ever. We need a way to nourish our spirits and keep going. It's not healthy to spend all our time focused on what's wrong in the world. Your blog is an important part of that.

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  42. You don't know me,, but I have been reading since "forever" your words..

    I am so sorry about your friend,, its soo very sad,,, I am sorry.

    The words you say, are what I feel.. but unable to say... in fact,, my words are gone.,
    I feel exactly like you,,, Such a horror for our nation to be in the throws of hate...
    It makes me sad too,,,
    your words say it,, you help many of us,, you help me.. Your honesty and being able to talk as things really are,, as things are affecting you and others,,,,,
    thank you for staying true to yourself, and us.

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  43. I'm writing from Vancouver Island, on the west coast of Canada. We have watched the deep divide in your country over this election with dismay. I am personally devastated by the way friends we have known from working overseas, who call themselves Christ followers, have been able to dismiss this man's posturing and elect him to the highest office in your land. It boggles the mind.

    Thank you for writing your thoughts. While you will go on to create more beauty with your lovely words, how wrong it would be if you did not give voice to your grief when it is so deeply felt. Your honest words mean much and this experience will only deepen the way you write, for grief and sorrow force us to dig deep within to find solace and strength to carry on.

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  44. I have a theory that the younger generation will use this shocking event as a catalyst for them to proceed and change things.My generation had the Vietnam War and things sure did change! I also believe that many of the people who voted for him were not racists or hateful but confused and unable to recognize their country. But history does not go backwards...it never has. Arundhati Roy's famous quote is my mantra now," Another world is not only possible, it is on the way. On a quite day I can hear her breathing.

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  45. I choose to engage, to try to bolster this wonderful country of ours. It will be wonderful to still have this place to land, when I am weary of it all.....

    I have enjoyed your writing on this blog for many years - thank you, thank you!

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  46. Pamela, your voice here is so valuable right now. This is probably the most important time for you to write. We all need to speak up and not be intimidated by the clear minority of Americans who voted for trump. We are the American Resistance.

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  47. Beautifully put. As Christians we must live in hope and continue on "fighting the good fight." I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. I'm grateful you're continuing to blog. It's not a trivial thing in times like this. As Laura Ingalls Wilder said, "It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."

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  48. Two suggestions: consider moving abroad to a country which hopefully will be largely unaffected by what happened here. I think you know to which country you should consider moving - and you can continue your blog from anywhere. I myself have a connection to a ruined Highlands castle which my (awful) family lost three centuries ago and someday hope to see it in person after buying my own one-way ticket there, post-retirement. I cannot leave what is left of this formerly beautiful USA now but...soon...perhaps you are luckier than I am and could do so now. Anything is better than sitting in fear awaiting what will surely happen in this first reign of Czar D The First. The second suggestion has to do with trees (reflecting upon the title of this blog post): please consider reading The Hidden Life of Trees. Nature writing at its best, the most exquisite blend of science and lyricism.

    Stay focused and be very, very careful about public writings. Please. We all are being watched very, very closely.

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I love to read your comments! Each and every one! Though I'm always reading your comments, I may not respond in the comment section. If you want to write me directly, you may do so at pamela@pamelaterry.net. Thank you for reading!