Apologies to the World
To those living outside the borders of the United States, the majority of Americans who voted on Nov. 8 send apologies. Our election results sent the message that we don’t care about you. I and millions and millions of Americans care about you.
Ann having tea in downtown Amersterdam
Please remember that:
231,556,622 registered voters pre-election day
26% voted for Clinton—she won the popular vote
25.9% voted for Trump—he won the electoral college
2.6% voted for “other”
45.4% (105,195,013 registered voters) DIDN’T VOTE
Ann and Christina resting on a hike through southern Austria
Many of us are still in shock that this has happened. We are gathering in twos, threes, tens, and even thousands. This is NOT the message that WE send to the world outside our borders, to our future, and to the natural world. We are devastated that our country’s already “rogue nation reputation” has been exacerbated.
Ann and Christina and Ann’s sister, Susie, visiting British Columbia’s famous Butchart Gardens
On election night a young friend from the Netherlands wrote to us, “so sorry, no retirement for you!” She could not be more correct. We do not yet know how, but we– millions of us– are wide awake and ready to march, lobby, write letters, and CHANGE what seems to be happening in our country.
Ann raking leaves one week after the election—preparing for winter and what lies ahead
And to the natural world, which is completely innocent of all this but in danger of irreparable harm, the deepest apologies of all and the fiercest pledge of activism.
Christina taking a photo of a wombat in Australia
Still taking my heart out of my throat and gathering my wits, but this much is true: There is no retirement for US, and much work to do in the days, weeks, months and years ahead.
Sending love,
Meredith
Still taking my heart out of mu throat and gathering my wits, but this much is true: There is no retirement for US, and much work to do in the weeks, months and years ahead!
Sending love,
Meredith
Dear Ann – I have been thinking about you so much and sharing your anguish for the natural world as well as its people. I have felt rocked all week with so many emotions that all relate to the grieving process. I love your fiercest pledge of activism and echo that – I feel the same. I believe this will activate many, many people for whom this represents the opposite of all they hold sacred.
May the One Who is More have mercy on us for we know not what we have done. Oh, yes we do. Thank you for voicing it, dear one. A friend who is a mail carrier in Bellevue said everyone she met on Wednesday was going out of their way to be kind. She didn’t want to overstate, but she felt even apparently notoriously bad Bellevue drivers were more respectful. “Kindness and respect,” something every one of us can do to make this better.
Dear Ann, beautifully said, and the math sheds truth. I am baffled that so many think not voting is a real choice. It shakes the bedrock of our founding fathers, immigrants all. Thank you for your message.
Arriving slowly and mindfully into this energetic, post election field after being in other parts of our precious and beautiful world for the past few weeks…
The continuum of response to the election and its results among people I encountered in Germany and Italy, including some ex pat Americans, and the news, in particular BBC World, signaled this shock and a beginning attempt to make sense of this outcome. I am the same, just barely finding words, relying on the wisdom of poets and story tellers, Nature, my morning practice in the quiet of our home to help me find my way through, to help me discern my personal “now what?”
I read a wise FB comment about the need to be especially vigilant to discern: Is my response coming from triggered trauma, or from the clarity of an awakened, empowered heart? Then I read Christina’s post about “eating the hope” we gave to others, to now nourish ourselves for what we are being called for, around the world. Your words, Ann, bring tears to my eyes. A good and necessary thawing.
Thank you and Christina, with love.
Ann,
Thank you for these beautiful words to the world. A lot of us feel embarrassed for our country. As you state here, we are called to action now.
Margaret
Thank you for sharing your loving words, Aunt Ann. I feel deeply entrenched in grief for this country. Mostly I feel scared for my fellow citizens who face deportation and the loss of their rights. But we will not give in to fear mongering or division or blame. It is time to gather our seeds and sow.
Dear Ann – I, too, have been apologizing to the world, human and natural, over the past few days. In addition to heeding the call for action, I believe it is also important for us to open our minds and hearts and listen to the 45% of registered voters who felt that the best way for their voices to be heard, was by not voting for either of the major party candidates. Many of my students, for whom this was their first election, chose with anguish and integrity in their hearts, not to vote at all. I firmly believe that we need to listen, not so much to the voices of hatred and bigotry, but to the voices of those who know we can do better than this. We have much to learn in the months and years ahead. The Circle Way’s principles and practices can guide us to create the future we want to have – filled with compassion, kindness and care for the earth and one another. Love to you, Christina and Gracie. Jude
Dear Ann,
Thank you for your beautifully written email in regards to our devastating election. I do believe in the prayers and actions of uniting together to bring justice and support to one another. Today at our Adoration Chapel I wrote a prayer that I hope many at our church will read. It said, We need to unite and support each other and stop racial discrimination, bigotry, hate, and indifference by standing together in God’s love. We owe it to our country and to the world to bring justice and mercy to all mankind. Love, Kathy
The morning following the election, I received a raft of consolation emails from my friends and clients outside the U.S. — something that has never happened before except following the 9/11 attacks. And indeed, what has happened will be even more devastating than those dark days, spread over 1461 days. Already friends here are starting to discuss “1461 clubs,” gatherings of like-minded people who can brainstorm citizen-level actions of all kinds to push back against this dark wind about to blow across our nation (and the world). Thank you for this, Ann, and know that we are all sending you, Christina, Gracie, and Debbie our love.
Dear Sisters of the North… Yes, it has been tough for Mexicans these last elections. Thank you for your healing words. I feel that no matter Trump, we (and we is you and the rest of the good citizens of the world), will face the future with courage, optimism and resilience. Just this morning I heard a brilliant speech by Elizabeth Warren in YouTube. I AM IN too for Mexicans and for all GREAT Americans. I know that GOOD will prevail. I send all my love and support.
Thank you Ann for your thoughtful and gracious words. It seems strange that you would need to apologize for your country peoples vote results. Here in Canada we are still in a state of shock and wondering “what were they thinking?” One frequently heard comments like “in all of 350 or so million people is this the best they could come up with to govern the most influential country in the world?” Canadians are huge Obama fans and tend to blame the political system rather than him for not achieving his goals. We are very concerned. I wish I could say ” all will be well” but no-one really knows if that is so. You should know however that there are daily huge anti-trump rallies happening in several Canadian cities. Not that he will care but it is proof of the solidarity that we Canadians feel for our U.S. friends. We are with you in the fight for peace and justice that goodness and love may prevail. Keep working to make it happen, we will too! Love to you both. Hugs to Gracie.
Thank you, Ann for articulating so well what so many of us are feeling… We must find ways to stand strong for each other, the environment and our place in the world. Hatred, bigotry, ignorance and callousness may have won this election, but it will not rule our lives. It must not persist! We are, at core, a better nation and more caring people than that. Standing with you in activism and Love.
Dear Ann, I am with you in this grief. Sending you love and energy. Thinking of you. Huge hugs!
Just want to say that we join in this expression of apology to the world and this commitment to vigilance, action and consciousness raising for the good of the Earth.
Dear Ann,
we so much share the pain with you Ann, a pain that so many of my other dear american friends feel, share and suffer from. We suffer with you, we that people you know here in Europe, Europeans as a whole suffer – and we stay close to you and to our american friends and there deep values that are no different to ours.
on that very morning, when I opened my laptop and read the news , tears of sorrow just came over me and I had no words for that. And I was blocked to think or even act the whole day. It was the second time – after brevet- in my life that I really felt worried .
Then I wrote my first impulse: 9/11 – 11/9 . And my second impulse: 11/9 1938 was the Reichskristiallnacht
When I got ground again in the evening of this very day it became so clear again why we were trained in different arts of deep and powerful wisdom such as the circle way and what for, And I sent a deep thank you to both of my dear friends and teachers, Ann and Christina, that you shared this wisdom with us.
And this time needs this wisdom more than ever before. This is what we can do now. Have to do now even more. To work in circles with this shadow, stay closely connected together, linking our hearts and soles and saving this world and its values until this shadow dispels as dark shadows never survive – neither in the past, nor in the future.
deep gratitude and warmest hug
holger
Ann, it took me this long to comment as you spoke the words that I was living in my mind. Thanks for giving me words when I could find nothing but a troubled gut and days of sleeplessness. The only thing I could do immediately was speak words of apologies, deep deep apologies. I know in my heart that the best we can do for the earth and everyone in it is to not let our joy be robbed as well. A challenge for sure but very necessary. I wish for you a place in your soul where your souls light can shine.