I’m sitting here this morning admiring the beautiful, large oak tree outside my window. Its branches stretch beyond what my view allows me to see fully even though summer storms, as well as a few early fall ones, broke and twisted many of those branches. Yet it still stands strong and, like in years past, is gloriously showing its fall colors. It has been through Hell but remains true to its mission – to be beautifully alive as a magnificent tree that can weather storms and welcome changes and seasons with a powerful strength.  

Nature is my balm, and I have a special appreciation for trees, so I turn to this mighty oak for some tree wisdom as I struggle with deep feelings of anger, hopelessness and worry. You see, like many of us right now, I’m exhausted and pissed. The last few months have been an emotional roller coaster of joyous hope followed by devastating despair and I’m angry that the recent election put someone for whom I have absolutely no respect back in power in this country.

We have every right to feel anger, disappointment and fear. We have been through damaging storms before at the whim of this guy and his followers and we find ourselves facing more of them.  We’re scared and worried about what might be ahead. But we can’t stay in that place. There is work to do and we are the ones who will have to do it.  

So, what can this old oak tree teach us? Endurance, resiliency, strength for sure. But also, how to sway with the changing winds while being grounded in what and who we are. If we stay in this place of anger, resentment and worry we will not only wear ourselves down to a nub but will also give those who are dangerously power hungry more power. It is clearly their intention to frighten us, to keep us worried and focused on them instead of ourselves, our lives and the work ahead of us. They want us to believe that they have “power over us.” This was clearly expressed by Nick Fuentes, the white nationalist, right-wing podcaster who is a frequent guest and advisor of the newly re-elected felon. The day after the election Fuentes gloated on air about women failing in our quest for autonomy. Fuentes declared, “Your body, my choice. Forever.” Then he added, “Men will now legally control women’s bodies.”  

No one should wonder why women, and the men who truly love and respect us, are angry right now. There is nothing wrong with being angry, even disillusioned, regarding what has happened and the gleeful “victory dances” being done by the MAGA (Make America Gullible Again) voters. It’s okay to feel what we feel, but we can’t wallow in worrisome feels and fear. Mental health professionals urge us to feel our feelings, talk to others who feel similarly for support, then when we can, to release them and get busy using our anger to motivate, to mobilize and to move us into action. That’s when we can organize and get to work. If we don’t and we allow ourselves to become mired in and withdraw into worry and fear, we play into the hands of those who want all the power. They want us scared and filled with doom, gloom and worry. They know that if they can keep us in that dark place, they will have truly won. Our worries only give them more power because worry and fear results in our feeling powerless. Worry and fear gives them all our power. When we’re focused on them and the fear and devastation they plan to enact they feel they have dominance over us, so we must reclaim and hold on to our power. We do that by releasing our worries about what they are doing and refocusing on the things we can control, like how we respond and react, how we reconnect with our own lives, how we move forward, how we can help protect the most vulnerable among us and know, despite the storms we have been through and whatever ones are ahead, we will rise again in a glorious display of unity, love and determination. 

They want to silence us, but we know the power we have in our voices and in our hearts and we will use that and all our resources to become even louder, even more sovereign. But we must muster the energy and the belief in “Yes, we can” to do that. My old oak tree is its most powerful when it can sway with the winds of opposition yet stand strongly true to itself by continuing to beautifully and selflessly offer shade, protection and a home to beings less fortunate. 

I ask us all to acknowledge that as individuals, we are incredibly strong and powerful beings, but together we are as sturdy as an old oak tree. Look at your own life. You’ve been through many storms and some of them likely bent, possibly broke, some branches and limbs off, yet here you stand even stronger. We can sustain ourselves and each other through whatever storms may be ahead. When we join together we become a forceful Army of goodness and grace. 

We’re not defeated. Not yet. We may feel weary and beaten down, but we will rise again louder, stronger and more powerful than before. One of my favorite essayists, Anne Lamott, often reminds us, “Grace bats last.”          

I look at my old oak tree standing sentinel as it has for decades. It remains strong through storms, hardship and age and I say, “Batter up.”