Author: Laurie Gauer
Dear LFUU Members and Friends,
WOO HOO!!! And whe . . . w. I know many of you, like me, were shouting an exclamation of joy and breathing an exhalation of relief on Tuesday night. Although there will likely still be “chaos, cruelty, and corruption” -- Senator Elect Peggy Flanagan’s words -- we have hope that it will be reined in and our healing from the trauma of the last two years can begin.
Did you know that several of our members’ family members, friends, neighbors, and students have been targets and victims of the hateful rhetoric and harmful policies? For example, Matthew and Marnie have worried about the safety and wellbeing of their kids due to anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric and laws; Vicki and her family have needed to help her ELL students and their immigrant friends due to the immigration crackdown; Sam and his family kept watch over their immigrant neighbors and friends during Operation Metro Surge; and Tim and Karen’s daughter had to move to Canada to get a job due to government research cuts, and her husband lost his job due to the destabilization of the Canadian economy related to the added tariffs.
So now, in addition to continue pushing for justice and human rights, we can focus on healing. (Did the Soul Matters team have a magic ball when they decided this month’s theme would be “Healing?”) As UUs, our challenge is to do so with love at the center. For ideas on how to do so, this week’s MN Braver Angels newsletter offered this: “Bill Doherty, a co-founder of Braver Angels and University of Minnesota professor emeritus of family and marriage therapy, offers some pointers on coping with our emotions and managing relationships with people close to us who vote the other way.” (FYI: Bill has been a guest speaker here and our own Helene, when she was co-chair of the local chapter, hosted a BA workshop at the A-frame.)
How might we help each other, our communities, and our country heal with love at the center?
In Fellowship,
Laurie Gauer, Chair, LFUU Board of Trustees