I\u2019ve never been one for New Year\u2019s resolutions. They\u2019ve often seemed sappy, and we\u2019re all familiar with jokes about gym memberships purchased in January and quickly forgotten. But this year it feels different. This year so much changed. While I entered 2016 with optimism, I enter 2017 with grave fears about our nation\u2019s future. This year, New Year\u2019s feels like a good time to stop, think, and reflect. What can I do, in 2017, to build a better future for myself, my family, and my nation?<\/p>\n
The problems that confront us often feel overwhelming. I\u2019m not an elected official. I\u2019m not a wealthy business owner. What can I<\/em> do? I sat down and asked myself this question, and started writing. And it turns out that I can do a lot. Having written this list, I feel energized rather than overwhelmed. Perhaps my list will help you, too.<\/p>\n I will\u00a0use my voice<\/strong><\/p>\n It is easy to feel small, but no matter how small we are\u00a0we do each have our own voice. We can exercise that\u00a0voice in a variety of\u00a0ways. We\u00a0can say something when I overhear bigotry. We\u00a0can write letters to the editor. We\u00a0can contact my elected officials. We\u00a0can\u00a0pay more attention\u00a0to local politics, and get involved as time and ability permit. It\u2019s easy to feel overwhelmed by how big the world is, and how much is wrong, but all we can do is use what we have.<\/p>\n Sometimes in the past I\u2019ve confused using my voice with speaking out on social media. Oh certainly, speaking out on social media is a way<\/em> to use my voice, but the two must not be confused for synonyms\u2014and social media can be uniquely stress-inducing. This year, in moments when\u00a0I feel overwhelmed by social media, I\u2019m going to try to respond by exercising my voice in another way\u2014writing a letter to an editor, or placing a call to an elected official (these calls can be made on a variety of issues).<\/p>\n I will build community<\/strong><\/p>\n Relationships are important. Networks are important. Community is important. In many cases the most important actions we can take are those that seem the smallest and most localized. We can support others in our community. We can be there for a friend. When we create community, we build something\u00a0bigger than ourselves. We help others, we influence others,\u00a0we build a foundation for positive\u00a0change.<\/p>\n We often live\u00a0disconnected\u00a0lives. It\u2019s not that we don\u2019t have friends, of course\u2014we do. But what about hosting a monthly potluck for friends and neighbors? Even just getting to know your neighbors can be part of building community. What about swapping babysitting, or doing random acts of kindness? There are ways to foster online community, too\u2014regular\u00a0Skype calls, or creating a list of friends you want to keep up with and reaching out to each every so often to ask how things are going.<\/p>\n I will learn\u00a0new things<\/strong><\/p>\n At one point this fall I sat in my living room for hours listening to\u00a0new neighbors talk about their family history. These neighbors are Jewish. I\u2019ve learned more about Judaism from them, and about life as a religious minority\u2014like the time they thought a cinder block we\u2019d placed on our porch to hold our door open had been left there as a message by someone unhappy with our presence in the neighborhood. Several weeks ago, too, I attended a Kwanzaa event for the first time ever.<\/p>\n What better way to push back against bigotry and intolerance than by learning more about others\u2019 cultures, lives, and histories? We can do this through our reading habits, by building relationships with those around us, and by\u00a0keeping our eyes open for cultural festivals or other opportunities. In 2017, I want to do more, and to learn more. I plan\u00a0to\u00a0foster my appreciation for the diversity that makes this country great, and to augment my understanding of the peoples and cultures around me.<\/p>\n I will give of what I have<\/strong><\/p>\n I am a working mother with two children. Childcare is expensive, and our budget sometimes feels worn thin. My time and my money are both limited. But that doesn\u2019t mean I have nothing to give. I do. I can contribute small amounts to various causes as finances allow. I can choose individual\u00a0volunteer opportunities that fit into my schedule. If we all do what we can, we can do a lot.<\/p>\n I was feeling stressed, recently, by my perceived\u00a0lack of volunteer work. But then I realized something\u2014I volunteer regularly\u00a0at my daughter\u2019s school,\u00a0fostering literacy and encouraging children\u2019s interest in reading. I hadn\u2019t thought of that as volunteer work because it didn\u2019t fit a specific cause, but it is<\/em> volunteer work, and it does make a difference. Rather than being overwhelmed by everything we aren\u2019t<\/em> doing or can\u2019t<\/em> do, let\u2019s\u00a0take a moment to consider what we are<\/em> doing and what we can<\/em> do.<\/p>\n