The coming winter season is one that I normally really look forward to. Those of you who have been receiving our newsletter and reading my Lifting the View submissions will likely understand how shocked and saddened I was personally with the results of our recent national election. Politics aside, I really struggled with how best to describe this feeling of loss and not become consumed by the negative side of this new reality. For me and other like-minded individuals, the coming winter is looking especially bleak… but not without hope.
In the 1961 novel The Winter of Our Discontent, Steinbeck’s protagonist, Ethan Hawley, repeatedly chooses his own financial gain through unethical business dealings, which eventually leads to his own moral reckoning. In a similar sense, I fear our country will likely face a reckoning of its own because of the decisions made in November.
At work, in my family, and within my community, I have the distinct honor to be surrounded by women of substance, intelligence, and integrity. To them, this election was an especially profound disappointment and one they still grapple to understand. One of those women, my wife Robin, who is always a harbinger of hope in our family, was disheartened and at a loss for words. In one of the many ways she helps others cope, she gave each of our grandchildren–when they were old enough– a ‘worry stone.’ They know that their own worry stone can help them when they are feeling anxious or scared. It can be a very soothing and comforting possession to hold when things get scary or confusing.
While I am not suggesting we all go out and get a worry stone, we do need to find a collective way to help each other find some hope in this dark time. Personally, I’ve decided I am going to recommit my time and treasure to helping individuals and organizations that are bound to be negatively impacted over the next four years. The Common Roots Foundation of course gives me tremendous purpose to this end, and I’m proud that its impact continues to grow, deepening our ability to offer support to our local community.
Those of you who read Steinbeck’s novel will remember Ethan Hawley had his moral reckoning come when he realized the negative consequences his actions had on others. So distraught was he that he contemplated taking his own life. Fortunately, he then discovered a stone in his pocket that was placed there covertly by his young daughter, Molly. He then realized his family needed him more, which gave him hope and saved his life.
Our country, marginalized groups, and especially the women in our lives really need support now. Perhaps a stone in our pocket might just be the talisman we all need to step back from this ethical abyss. In the coming months, I hope each of us will find the moral strength to do what we can to help those who are bound to be hurt in the coming years. As a reminder of that hope, put that stone in your pocket and support those organizations, businesses, and individuals that need it now more than ever. Whether it be through contributions or volunteering, each of us can play a more positive role in this still-unfolding chapter of our American story.
