Standing Strong in the Cold

A Call to Courage and Connection

The rushing sound of the wind alerts me to the cold moving in. I wrestle with the sheeting that will wrap around the Sago Palms for a few days. Without protection, the inevitable freeze will claim them. Later today, I plan to make a pot of chicken soup. By nightfall, the freeze will be here.

Temperatures in the teens and twenties aren’t unfamiliar to this former Colorado girl, but here in Texas, such readings are rare and mercifully short-lived. Yet, as I brace against the cold, I can’t help but think of another kind of freeze sweeping the nation—one not driven by weather but by something far more chilling: the freeze of moral courage.

In Congress, a kind of paralysis has taken hold. Once deeply held values—morality, ethics, and the commitment to the rule of law—seem to be collapsing under the weight of fear. Instead of standing firm, too many are scrambling for self-preservation, shielding themselves from the bullying of a leader whose methods thrive on chaos, intimidation, and misplaced loyalty.

But leadership that leans on fear is no leadership at all. True leadership fosters hope, builds bridges, and unites—not through brute force, but through the steady hand of wisdom and integrity.

And so, we must opt out of fear. We must reject paralysis.

The best response to this moment isn’t despair but action. We must show up in the world with kindness, creativity, and gratitude.

• Gratitude is the antidote to anxiety. When we take stock of what is good, we remember that not everything is lost.

• Creativity is activism. Every act of creation—whether through words, music, art, or innovation—is an act of resistance against a culture of destruction.

• Kindness is strength. Keeping our hearts open prevents us—and those around us—from losing our humanity in the face of uncertainty.

And then, there are tears.

Tears cleanse. They wash away grief, stress, and fear. They are a quiet baptism, a way to begin again each day—no matter what the world looks like outside our door.

A few days ago, I read a piece by

Kert Lenseigne 🌱

, A Sunday Short: Really?, which spoke of the Lakota saying Mitakuye Oyasin—"All My Relations." This sacred phrase embodies the interconnectedness of all life, a truth echoed in many of the world’s spiritual traditions. It is both a blessing and a call to awareness.

This morning, as I pulled my robe tight against the cold winds, I stood on the front porch, waiting for my dog to finish his business. I whispered a quiet "thank you" to the trees surrounding my home—for their shade, their beauty, their soothing companionship. And then I sealed my gratitude with all my relations.

This simple practice—acknowledging connection, embracing gratitude—offers a moment of solace in the chaos.

And when that’s not enough, I sing. I dance. Even when I don’t feel like it. Because music moves energy. It shakes loose the fear that settles deep in our bones. My go-to is old-school Motown for dancing, and when I need to sing at the top of my lungs, I turn to Joni Mitchell or Carole King. (Yes, I know that dates me!) But the choice of music doesn’t matter—what matters is that we move. That we breathe. That we refuse to be frozen.

We are in an unmapped wilderness, my friends, but we must not be defeated.

Hold fast to your creativity. When you’re in the zone of creating, you slip into an eternal now. Move energy through music, dance, and action. Find a word, a phrase—all my relations—that reminds you of your connection to something greater. And say thank you—often and out loud. I promise, it helps.

To those who helped grow my Substack by 1,200 by subscribers after reading What Can One Old Woman Do?—thank you. You reminded me of what is vital: we are not alone. We are all struggling, yes, but we are also learning to stand together. We our discovering the depths of our strength and courage.

In sharing our stories, in lifting one another up, we find our strength.

We will not give in to fear. We will not be defeated.

Through creativity, intention, and unity, we will chart a path forward—together.

You are in my heart,
Stephanie

Simple Activism. Take Action. Be the Change. Rise up.