Friday Things // 05.27.2022
The one not sure what to say, but with some suggestions on things to do.
This past Sunday, I woke up and was overcome with the most unexpected feeling. I was… homesick. Desperately, anxiously homesick, despite being, literally, at home, and it felt like it had carried over from my dreams that night. But not homesick for a specific place, necessarily, but rather for the feeling of home, and comfort, and everything associated — my mom, and simpler times, and a period of life that feels so far yet isn’t, when things just didn’t feel this hard or this broken or this unsure.
And so, I did what any self-respecting millennial woman would do, and glued myself to the couch to watch a marathon of “Gilmore Girls” episodes — all of which I’d already seen, at least dozen times. That show is my medicine, my soul soother, and one of the things that reminds me of my mom and makes me feel like she’s with me, or at least close by. Thinking of it and Lorelai’s fast talking and joke cracking always reminds me of a distinct memory I have of being home sick in high school, and watching an episode with my mom on the WB.
Anyways, it turns out that self-care was much needed and a pretty good precursor to this week, and it’s pain and heartache and frustration.
I feel like anything I could possibly tell you today would seem pretty hollow, or at best, repetitive, after this week, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 30-something years of life so far, it’s that you show up. You show up for yourself, and for the people and things you care about, even when it’s hard, or you don’t feel like it, or it seems like whatever you have to offer couldn’t possibly be enough.
And what I can offer, at least, is a reminder that you are not alone. If you’re feeling a lot of difficult emotions right now, believe me when I say I am too. I’ve tried to think about what my mom would say, if she was alive and been aware of the horror of the Texas school shooting and all the other ugliness of late, and to be honest, I’m not sure… beyond being certain she’d be heartbroken and that she’d remind me that she hated guns, and that happiness and kindness are a choice. And she’d definitely suggest watching something that would make you feel good — something funny. (Like, um, “Gilmore Girls.”)
The other thing I’ve learned is that action is often the best solution to hopelessness or helplessness or sadness. Not always, sure, but in times like this? Yes. Even small actions can make a real difference, and we can do them together.
Here are some things you can do:
Call your U.S. Senator and tell them you are their constituent (that’s important!) and want them to support gun reform and getting a vote on H.R. 8. You can find your Senators’ phone numbers on the U.S. Senate website (and you can also always call their local office in your state as well as in Washington, D.C.). If no one answers, leave a message. If the answering machine is full, try calling again another day, or send an email. *Note this is important even if your Senator already supports H.R. 8 or gun reform. I used to work in a Senator’s office and can tell you firsthand that Congressmen do care and track their constituents’ feedback on issues.*
There are great scripts already floating around the internet so I won’t rebuild the wheel. I like the ones from @emilyinyourphone, @jamiebgolden and #5SmartReads/Hitha Palepu.
Reach out to your Congressmen (i.e., Senators and House of Rep members) via social media. Tweet them, or post on your Instagram stories and tag them, and tell them you want gun control and want them to come out in support of gun reform (and if they already do, cool, you can still urge them to do something/work on getting bills passed about this). All Congressmen will have their social media accounts linked on their websites.
Text CHANGE to 877-877 to sign up with Brady and/or text ACT to 644-33 to sign-up with Everytown. Both organizations are working to end gun violence.
If you feel so inclined and have the means, you can also always donate money. Some good, vetted organizations are Everytown and Moms Demand Action (which is part of Everytown), or donate to any of these verified fundraisers to support the community of Uvalde, Texas.
Sign up to volunteer with the campaigns of politicians running in key states (for national office, or local/state level!). The best way to create change and affect policy is to vote out leaders who are not, in fact, leading nor working for the greater good, and help leaders you believe will be better get elected. (Their jobs as public servants are to work for the people who are their constituents, aka you!)
FYI you don’t have to live in the state of of someone who’s running for office to help out on their campaign; there are usually lots of ways to volunteer virtually, such as by calling or texting voters. (For example, you could live in Washington but still volunteer to get out the vote for someone who’s running for governor in Georgia.)
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I hope any of that is useful to you! Sending you sunnier days, my friends, and a peaceful holiday weekend. Feel free to share this post with anyone who might want some ways to help, or just want to feel less alone during these difficult days.
A heartfelt thank you to all of our military and their families on this Memorial Day weekend. 💙
Thanks for reading,
Joelle