Kindness is a Tonic

 

In times of trouble...

Things (waves hands) are very chaotic right now and no one knows what will happen, or even what they are seeing via the media and/or the internet is in any way, shape or form, accurate.

I know this helpless feeling - it's not 'new'.  In a life this long(ish) we have had lots of turmoil and nastiness to be well aware that things can go very bad, very quickly.

So I focus on trying to touch base with some people, let them know that I'm thinking of them, I try to click the 'like' button on Facebook as an encouragement to others.

It's hard to keep doing something as 'silly' as make hand woven tea towels when you can see the world trying to collapse around us all.

But being creative by making things, may they be things that appeal to others or not, is important.  One of the things autocratic governments do is demoralize their citizens - make them believe that they have no autonomy, and gawd forbid they do something whimsical, or not 'necessary'.  Gawd forbid we exercise our 'rights', speak truth to power, or think independently of the governmental propaganda machine.

I'm not immune to the angry rhetoric so once in a while I get a nice message, out of the blue.  It does wonders for my spirits, and I find that I can get up out of my chair and do something.  It might be just bake a pan of oat bars, or wet finish a load of towels, or design another warp for the next one to go into the loom.  

A touch of kindness is a tonic, not just to me, to others.

When I'm feeling overwhelmed, I tend to withdraw into myself.  But I got a couple messages this week that have helped put things into perspective.  

I'm still dealing with a body that doesn't much want to co-operate with me.  Probably because I never 'listened' to it before when it let me know it was sick and/or needed rest.  Now, it is not taking 'no' for an answer.  So I continue on my quest to try to find a smidgeon more 'comfort'.  And days like yesterday (and today) feel a lot lighter when I touch, even virtually, with another person.

So if you aren't sure if someone really wants to hear from you?  Do it anyway.  You might be surprised.

No (wo)man is an island...