Dear Liza,
Leading up to the second election of Donald Trump, I was feeling anxious. What would a second Trump term mean for the country? Our foreign policy? Our civil rights? How would we viewed by the rest of the world?
As always, I turned to “making stuff” to cope. I chose this tiny 1948 atlas, which Auntie Bridgett had found in a teeny free library when we first moved to Portland. Now, I saw it as a place to put my anxiety about the.world’s future.
I dug into my collage words box and in an old “French phrase a day” calendar, found just what I needed.
“It’s discouraging.” “You’d think it’s a cult.” “We could go someplace else.” Yes, maybe we could.
I tried to stay in the same color family as the atlas itself, stenciling and stamping, as I created images that expressed my anxiety.
But after a few days of cutting, pasting and realizing who our new President was, I realized that my ‘coping’ mechanism was making me feel worse, by focusing on the awful helplessness. I was in fight or flight mode, and because of family obligations here, we can’t “fly” at the moment. So I needed to think about what I could do to fight, here and now. Again, I found phrases to express myself.
“Calm yourself.” “Don’t cry”.
Of course, the words alone won’t fix anything. I need to, as Mr. Rogers advised, look for the helpers. I can engage with local charities and national groups like the ACLU to make a positive difference in the lives of people who will feel the brunt of Mr. Trump’s announced plans.
And realizing I can do that has been very good for my mental health.
Love,
Grandma Judy
Dear Liza 