Words that caught us: To live in defiance of all that is bad around us, is a marvelous victory!

We have lived all our lives

Being told that defiance is bad;

And that obedience is good.

But it turns out that

In times of great uncertainty

And hardship,

Defiance is gold.

If you can find it in yourself

To love,

To laugh,

To care.

To be kind,

To share,

To be brave,

To feel joy,

To be thankful,

To play,

To sing and dance,

To stand up for life,

And celebrate your humanness,

Despite all the fear, uncertainty

And pain around us,

Then you’re victorious, my friend.

Today, setting aside bad news to celebrate life,

Is a radical act, and a personal victory.

‘The most radical thing we can do today is create.

To shape our own uniquely viable path forward,

And to be inspired by others who are doing the same.’

There is no better time to be defiant

Than now!

*Today’s reflection has been inspired by this article by Jason Zabel & Jack Samels.

** We have been worried and concerned by all the negative energy swirling around. Most of us are caught up in a rare stasis. We all must find ways to get moving, if we want to avoid the inevitable stink. Below is an excerpt that resonates deeply with us:

 "We have always lived with the unknown, but rarely has it felt so present and threatening.  ...the pandemic is now a collective narrative we must overcome. The pandemic has brought on a cultural hesitancy. Our gears are stuck in neutral. The narrative of today is not wrong, it just isn’t the full picture. There is nothing challenging us to divine a better future. There is simply a retreat. The stories we’re surrounded by not only frame our present, but our future. Everything begins with feeling. It’s from that point that we act or we don’t. Right now, there’s a lack of stories that act as wayfinding—visions of what we should become. … This is a moment for people who can envision a different world and help transport us there. … that world will only open up if we begin to tell ourselves different stories. …It's time to imagine the stories that we want to make real.”