League Members are showing up in so many ways. You tabled at National Voter Registration Day in big numbers. You registered and educated voters at a wide range of community events. Our candidate forum team held seven local forums and added an in-person debate at Edmonds College. Many of you were there to table, usher, and help. We fielded requests to speak to new and varied community groups, were asked to help register teen voters in high schools, and invited to join Auditor Garth Fell for his Elections Explained series. Our couriers have been busier than ever, refilling voting supplies across the county. Our Natural Resource champions continue to fight to save our beautiful forests and shorelines, while others monitor transportation issues, fight for redistricting changes, and track local issues. The work can be both frustrating and exhilarating; it is definitely never-ending.
We realize this. We feel it too. We are all feeling the stress of the decisions we are being asked to make. So this month, we are encouraging each and every one of you to practice true self-care. Here are some ideas:
- Make sure you are moving! Take a walk, go to the gym, practice yoga, try Pilates, or just dance in your kitchen. Our bodies need the release of good movement
- Cook healthy foods. Try that new recipe, bake a loaf of bread, be adventurous with a new combination of spices or herbs. Our bodies need to be nourished and nurtured.
- Just breathe. Stop – sit down – and simply breathe. Listen to the sounds of your family, your home, your yard, your neighborhood. Notice the fall riot of color. Life is unfolding around us. Don’t miss it!
- Stay focused on the good. Mr. Rogers reminded us to always “look for the helpers.” We see them all around us. There’s the generous spirit of fellow League members and so many committed, active, kind community friends and neighborhoods. Find the joy in that…and be grateful!
There are so many reasons to be hopeful. Find those actions, big and small, that lift you up. Celebrate these. Turn off the computer and phone. Tell someone you appreciate them. Tuck in under a cozy blanket and take a moment to simply BE.
The work will be waiting for us. We’ll pick it up and move ahead together. And we will be stronger because we took the time to care for ourselves.
We are thinking about all of you and wishing you deep, inner peace.