We live in crazy times. Each time I open CNN (which I KNOW I should not type that into my browser.. but I can’t help it) my stomach drops.

Oh, you too?

Yeah, I know I’m not alone.

Maybe you’re reading important Op-Ed pieces.

Maybe you are cleaning out your closets and burning your shoes.

Maybe you are showing up for protests and teaching your kids how to make homemade signs.

Maybe you are sharing viral videos with the hopes of likes and comments and conversation.

Maybe you are angry, hurt, scared and turning hateful instead of hopeful.

My spinning head can not keep up with headlines, hurting hearts, and heavy reminders of the work we have yet to do.

A friend of a friend wrote this article drawing upon the lessons from Harry Potter in this era of Trump. I, too, was eleven when Harry meekly came onto the scene, gaining power in his own abilities, his skills, and his uniqueness.

His voice taught my generation to resist opression, darkness and death eaters, much like Malia says, with our own ordinary abilities.

I’m not shouting on streets and I’m not making signs. I am clicking on articles and watching disheartening videos, and I’m swirling with how do I, a perfectly ordinary person, resist this?

With whispers of beautiful things.

I’ve decided for the month of September to invite you, my readers, to join me in making lists of things going well in your life right now. Yes, it may feel a total shit show out there, but in my house, my world is calm. Imperfect, but calm.

 I believe we can create peace if we start in our hearts, refusing to believe the doom and gloom and crazy chaos of an aching world is all there is. 

No, I’m not discounting the craziness, nor am I naively saying that making lists of good and beautiful things makes things better. It can, however, make things bearable.

Interested in joining the resistance?

 

Send me a list of five to ten things going right in your world and I’ll share it on the blog. You can scratch it down on paper, shoot me an email at 52beautifulthings at gmail dot com or leave a comment here.

Think a gratitude list mixed with a light saber to fight off the darkness.

I’ll go through the month of September. I’m hoping for 1000 total beautiful things. That means 100 people have to send me a list of 10 items.

For tonight?

• There’s food in my fridge
• Grocery stores and corner stands and open-air markets all over the world sell bouquets of fresh flowers
• Candy corn
• Text messages with loved ones
• Acoustic guitar
• Writers
• Creatives
• Believers in beautiful things

Send me an email, let’s get resisting.