It’s only been a week since we swore in a new President and I literally feel like we now live in the upside down. If you’ve watched “Stranger Things,” you know. I mean, Winona Ryder doesn’t look so crazy anymore. I kinda feel like you might find me with a Christmas light alphabet strung up on the wall soon.

Everything I’ve known to be true, or assumed to be true, for 37 years has somehow come completely undone in several swift executive orders. Every time I think, “wait they couldn’t POSSIBLY…?” He does. And they do. People agree with him and do the thing. Like, they stand next to him and do not scream, or blink 3 times so we know to rescue them. How are they so fine?

I have a whole lotta CANNOT right now. Writing feels hard. Enjoying simple things feels hard. Patience feels hard. The world turned on its axis last Friday and I just feel like I can’t upright it. I feel so confused and entirely perplexed by humans at the moment.

I’ve sought out action in the form of calls to Senators, sharing scripts on FB. I’ve watched cute baby animal videos. I ordered a new pair of shoes. I ate perfect pasta at a beachside restaurant Tuesday.

That’s pretty much what I’ve got. Anyone else feeling me here?

So, while I sort of just want to sit here and eat chocolate and give no fucks, I am forcing myself into an exercise of identifying what I do know to prove to myself that I am not ready to curl into a ball like the possum/rolly polly hybrid creature I sort of feel like right now. When I’ve got my truth, I’m still standing.

Therefore, my list, in no particular order:

I love my children more than I ever thought it was humanly possible to love other living beings.

If you ask me out and I say no, I might come back a year later and say yes. And what follows will be kind of sweet and wonderful and all butterfly-ish.

I have a tribe of people who love me fiercely.

I am a complex human and so are you. We are going to make big mistakes with each other. And then learn. And then do more good. And more bad. And more good. For always.

My son would like me to marry a Kratt brother.

I cannot control anything, and probably that’s fine.

Even my best intentions turn out wrong sometimes and I have to understand and accept the consequences.

And try again. Always try again.

Sometimes I cannot find my creativity, so I need to walk away until it comes back.

So many people deeply care about equal rights, inclusion, safety, love. I am not alone.

Many well meaning people also get it wrong sometimes and even when they think they’re doing totally the right thing, it still alienates someone else.

We try again.

Christianity is being used as a weapon.

There’s a difference between saying “I am Christian” and “I am a Christian;” I prefer the former. I prefer to read it as a verb.

On marching: white women in pink hats garner selfies; people with darker skin garner riot gear.

I am so proud of all of my friends who marched.

I completely understand the many women who have told me they purposefully abstained.

I invite open conversation when I make myself vulnerable.

I have a story to write. I have words to share. I will bring them to life.

Art will not die.

Park rangers turn out to be the rogue heroes when the zombie apocalypse arrives.

That’s what I know, folks. 

How about you? Leave me a comment with what YOU know to be true today. Onward.

❤