I created a list of all the great books readers are sharing in comments and emails, so I don't forget them. (I maxed out my Libby requests! ) Keep 'em coming guys.
I relate to all of this completely! I too dusted off my canvassing shoes, although it had been much longer since I had knocked on doors. I wrote a few letters to swing states, but I’m now passionately writing letters for Vote Forward’s Missouri campaign for reproductive rights. Although I moved away, I was born and raised in Missouri and my family goes back many generations there. It will always feel like home to me. It’s so easy to give up on the “red” states, but when you really look at the numbers, all states are purple. In the last poll I saw, 41% of voters in MO were planning to vote blue. Obviously, that isn’t enough people to win an election right now, but it is a powerful force. Remembering that always helps me keep going!
Thanks for this post! I'm writing letters with Vote Forward too. I also find it helps my big-picture anxiety to do something kind close to home. I'm cooking for and delivering food this weekend to a friend with cancer. It isn't going to make a difference in the election, but feels like a net positive for my community, and it feels in line with your make or mend something idea.
Yes, I want to hear about all kinds of ways people are doing good--not just tied to this election, and meals for a sick friend is huge. That's mutual aid right there.
Hello lovely friend! Heartily recommending my OTHER lovely friend's book: Lessons from the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth: How to Live with Care and Purpose in an Endangered World by the amazing Kate Schapira. HUGS!
Laura--this is such a helpful and timely post. Thank you! I have been feeling so much anxiety/sadness/worry about the world and you really captured concrete ways to move through it all. Signing up for your letter writing asap! And thank you to your community for all the lovely comments and reflections here.
Thank you. I really needed this today. As a liberal-minded person in Florida, I've been sick to my stomach this week and actually had to log out of all social media after breaking my rule of not engaging in political discourse online (it was just too much. I couldnt not!!!). Then, yesterday, I spent the day in a national forest pulling invasive species with my daughter's 6th grade class and I felt some healing begin.
Pulling invasive species can be very therapeutic, and I love that this was something your kid's class was doing together. Hoping your corner of Florida wasn't acutely impacted by the storm.
I really feel all of this, too, and I'm so glad you make space for these conversations! Since I had my daughter two years ago, I've also been trying to move through feeling scared when I think about the world she's going to grow into while worrying that nothing I do will make a difference. I think what really got me moving was reading on (I think?) Anya Kamenetz's substack the idea that you don't have to save the whole world, but when your kids ask you 20/30/40 years from now what you did to help--you have to be able to look them in the eye and say you did something/anything--so just start doing it! Echoes so much what you're saying in this newsletter!
I've been feeling moved to act at a really local a level where I may have the ability to make more of a difference, so I'm in the process of taking courses through my city parks department to be certified as a weed warrior, meaning I can work in city parks to remove non-native weeds that damage our native tree canopy. I live next to a 100-year old urban forest that provides so many benefits, so trying to keep it healthy feels really meaningful. I'm also volunteering with my city community association in an attempt to get my neighbors thinking about and working on sustainability at the super local level, though I'm still fumbling around and trying to figure out what that might actually look like!
Dare I ask--I'd love to know what the book you stopped reading was since a practical guide to mutual aid does sound like exactly the sort of thing I'm craving right now. You recommended Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World a few weeks back, and I'm listening to that on Spotify right now!
I love all the ways you’re making a difference right in your community. I started the book Lifehouse—and maybe it gets better later? (I didn’t mention by name because I only read maybe 20 pages.) In the meantime, I’ll check out Anya’s newsletter. Thanks so much for sharing ❤️
Thank you for this post, Laura. Fall is always my favorite season, but I’m definitely having to look harder to feel “cozy” this year. I especially like your tip for doing something with your hands. I’ve been volunteering with PostcardsToVoters.com to get more Democrats to the polls this year and one of the campaigns is for Dr, Kelly Semrad in Florida who’s running for Orange County District 5 Commissioner. She is endorsed by the Orlando Sentinel for being an environmental champion and it’s one of those down ballot races that can have a serious impact at the local level. I’m in Colorado, but climate change is definitely affecting us all. Kudos to you and your son for this important reminder and for your work with Vote Forward! 🌏💙
I'm also writing letters for Vote Forward, and it helps me feel so much better about the election knowing that I am connecting with folks and encouraging voting. To find similar ways to take action on climate, check out The Climate Action Handbook by Heidi Roop. (Full disclosure: I worked for the publisher and have since retired.) Dr. Roop wrote this book of 100 actions that anyone can take specifically to give people from all walks of life ways to help prevent and prepare for climate change. Like Vote Forward, taking as many of these actions as I can has helped ease my climate anxiety in knowing that I'm doing what I can.
Thank you Sarah, I will check this book out; it sounds like a grown-up version of a book I loved when I was a kid '50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth'
Thank you for the inspiration and action items! I just signed up to write letters, which is something that's been on my mind for some time and took under two minutes to arrange.
I created a list of all the great books readers are sharing in comments and emails, so I don't forget them. (I maxed out my Libby requests! ) Keep 'em coming guys.
https://bookshop.org/lists/recommended-by-living-small-readers
I relate to all of this completely! I too dusted off my canvassing shoes, although it had been much longer since I had knocked on doors. I wrote a few letters to swing states, but I’m now passionately writing letters for Vote Forward’s Missouri campaign for reproductive rights. Although I moved away, I was born and raised in Missouri and my family goes back many generations there. It will always feel like home to me. It’s so easy to give up on the “red” states, but when you really look at the numbers, all states are purple. In the last poll I saw, 41% of voters in MO were planning to vote blue. Obviously, that isn’t enough people to win an election right now, but it is a powerful force. Remembering that always helps me keep going!
Thank you for sharing, Briana. I keep telling my kid that every state is purple too!
Thanks for this post! I'm writing letters with Vote Forward too. I also find it helps my big-picture anxiety to do something kind close to home. I'm cooking for and delivering food this weekend to a friend with cancer. It isn't going to make a difference in the election, but feels like a net positive for my community, and it feels in line with your make or mend something idea.
Yes, I want to hear about all kinds of ways people are doing good--not just tied to this election, and meals for a sick friend is huge. That's mutual aid right there.
Hello lovely friend! Heartily recommending my OTHER lovely friend's book: Lessons from the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth: How to Live with Care and Purpose in an Endangered World by the amazing Kate Schapira. HUGS!
Thank you, friend. I am ordering it now upon your recommendation.
Laura--this is such a helpful and timely post. Thank you! I have been feeling so much anxiety/sadness/worry about the world and you really captured concrete ways to move through it all. Signing up for your letter writing asap! And thank you to your community for all the lovely comments and reflections here.
Every little bit helps, right? Thanks for the note and for your efforts!
Thank you. I really needed this today. As a liberal-minded person in Florida, I've been sick to my stomach this week and actually had to log out of all social media after breaking my rule of not engaging in political discourse online (it was just too much. I couldnt not!!!). Then, yesterday, I spent the day in a national forest pulling invasive species with my daughter's 6th grade class and I felt some healing begin.
I'm about to mail my Vote Forward letters too!
Pulling invasive species can be very therapeutic, and I love that this was something your kid's class was doing together. Hoping your corner of Florida wasn't acutely impacted by the storm.
I really feel all of this, too, and I'm so glad you make space for these conversations! Since I had my daughter two years ago, I've also been trying to move through feeling scared when I think about the world she's going to grow into while worrying that nothing I do will make a difference. I think what really got me moving was reading on (I think?) Anya Kamenetz's substack the idea that you don't have to save the whole world, but when your kids ask you 20/30/40 years from now what you did to help--you have to be able to look them in the eye and say you did something/anything--so just start doing it! Echoes so much what you're saying in this newsletter!
I've been feeling moved to act at a really local a level where I may have the ability to make more of a difference, so I'm in the process of taking courses through my city parks department to be certified as a weed warrior, meaning I can work in city parks to remove non-native weeds that damage our native tree canopy. I live next to a 100-year old urban forest that provides so many benefits, so trying to keep it healthy feels really meaningful. I'm also volunteering with my city community association in an attempt to get my neighbors thinking about and working on sustainability at the super local level, though I'm still fumbling around and trying to figure out what that might actually look like!
Dare I ask--I'd love to know what the book you stopped reading was since a practical guide to mutual aid does sound like exactly the sort of thing I'm craving right now. You recommended Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World a few weeks back, and I'm listening to that on Spotify right now!
I love all the ways you’re making a difference right in your community. I started the book Lifehouse—and maybe it gets better later? (I didn’t mention by name because I only read maybe 20 pages.) In the meantime, I’ll check out Anya’s newsletter. Thanks so much for sharing ❤️
Thank you for this post, Laura. Fall is always my favorite season, but I’m definitely having to look harder to feel “cozy” this year. I especially like your tip for doing something with your hands. I’ve been volunteering with PostcardsToVoters.com to get more Democrats to the polls this year and one of the campaigns is for Dr, Kelly Semrad in Florida who’s running for Orange County District 5 Commissioner. She is endorsed by the Orlando Sentinel for being an environmental champion and it’s one of those down ballot races that can have a serious impact at the local level. I’m in Colorado, but climate change is definitely affecting us all. Kudos to you and your son for this important reminder and for your work with Vote Forward! 🌏💙
Those down ballot races are so important: Thank you for the word you are doing.
I'm also writing letters for Vote Forward, and it helps me feel so much better about the election knowing that I am connecting with folks and encouraging voting. To find similar ways to take action on climate, check out The Climate Action Handbook by Heidi Roop. (Full disclosure: I worked for the publisher and have since retired.) Dr. Roop wrote this book of 100 actions that anyone can take specifically to give people from all walks of life ways to help prevent and prepare for climate change. Like Vote Forward, taking as many of these actions as I can has helped ease my climate anxiety in knowing that I'm doing what I can.
Thank you Sarah, I will check this book out; it sounds like a grown-up version of a book I loved when I was a kid '50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth'
Thanks for this list! I used Vote411 to read up on a couple ballot measures that will be on my local ballot!
I'm glad!
Thank you for the inspiration and action items! I just signed up to write letters, which is something that's been on my mind for some time and took under two minutes to arrange.
Glad that it inspired you--it really is easy to get started and it feels so good to be doing something.