A Steadying

Recently, I crossed paths with a college student who is an aspiring humanitarian. Our conversation focused on the state of the world, hopes for the future, the use of self in conflict management, and how care of self interfaces with calling. During our time together, she pondered and processed, “How do I take it all in and still live my life?”

2024 has entered the chat, and it is not holding anything back. On Monday, January 1^st, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit Japan, rocking the country at its core. This year has seen continued uncertainty about incoming leadership within the United States government, gun violence, and mass shootings (one in Kansas City, Missouri, on the 14^th of February), repeated lack of accountability for current and former elected officials, emergency exit doors blowing off of airplanes mid-flight, and ongoing unrest in the form of the Israel-Hamas war. Within the first quarter of the year, a man has been the nation’s first individual to be executed by nitrogen gas in what many have deemed to be a violation of the US Constitution’s 8^th Amendment protection from cruel and unusual punishment. Five United States Marines lost their lives in a helicopter crash. Certain cellphone network carriers have had at least one widespread outage. North Carolina is now requiring a photo ID in order to vote. Concerns about the future of IVF are in question.  Significant turmoil has accompanied the year 2024 as it crossed the threshold both nationally and globally.

Not only has the world been in chaos, but we as individuals have seen hard days. Some are grieving the loss of loved ones and striving to adjust to a new normal. Others are saddled underneath the weight of an economy that promotes labor but lacks fair wages. People are attempting to remain connected with self while simultaneously making a conscious effort to be actively present for loved ones and in places that require their attention. 2024 has come in swinging. To be fair, perhaps we can remove the blame of a wild first three months of the year from 2024 and instead place it on life. Life is challenging.

This piece is not necessarily a plea for action that will move the needle of progress for social justice in our nation and the world forward. This is simply an acknowledgment that it is both important and okay to name the feeling(s) associated with one’s present reality and to enact a ritual of release or recognition that helps to manage awareness. “How do I take it all in and still live my life?” Writer Cole Arthur Riley, in her book Black Liturgies: Prayer, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human States,

“When you practice lament with intentionality, you claim agency in your own emotional life. It’s not sinking; it’s a steadying. You light the candle on the altar for the one you lost. You linger in your parked car, letting that song move you. You cry and don’t apologize for it. You tell stories. You name exactly what has been stolen.”

Riley reminds us of the path through which we are able to deliberately speak our lived experiences and, in doing so, take ownership of and affirm power related to our inner being. In the raising of voice and “practicing of lament with intentionality” we give ourselves permission to become more deeply rooted. As we process the difficult things and even find joy in the good ones, may we be open to exploring and implementing pragmatic approaches to balance self. May we be reminded that there is power in our acknowledgment and safety in our ritual practices. May we be assured that we have the power to create a safe space in order to process, decompress, and live.