Your words really met me where I am today - tired, and warding off despair at the hot insanity swirling in our beloved world. Love your illustration too Stephanie - fills me with peace & quiet resolve - thank you for speaking out from your wise core 🙏🏼
Linda, I'm so glad that you're here. I think we are all feeling weary and also resolved to find and exercise our resilience and our kindness in, as you call it, "our beloved world." Thank you for your thoughtful comment. Goodwill.
@Stephanie Raffelock - For me, your words carry both an ache and an antidote. You remind us that the longing for home is not mere nostalgiabut a moral compass pulling us toward belonging, toward one another, toward the dignity of being human.
There is something sacred in how you frame hospitality, both as a comfort and as a courageous act of connection in an era so frayed by fracture. And yes, in the cacophony of modern life, stories like The Odyssey become more than literary echoes, they become lifelines, guiding us back to the humane rhythms that shape our collective heart.
And your poem! Oh, how it sits both heavy and beautiful with me. The image of drinking tea while Texas burned, anchored in small acts when the world feels beyond reach, felt like a prayer for the exhausted among us, myself included. A true testament to endurance and to the kind of care that persists even when everything feels threadbare.
Thank you, Stephanie, for being a voice of remembering. A voice of return. I know I needed this.
Thank you, Bronce, for kind words and for deep understanding that heavy and beautiful can sit side by side in the heart; that in spite of fracture and frayed times, we have creativity and resilience within us; that there is a light in us that shines upon the intention to keep moving forward and find our way home. Sending you goodwill and gratitude. I'm so glad that you're here. Hugs across the miles.
Your poem is amazing, and so is the larger post. I like that you mentioned The Odyssey. I think literature is one of the places where we can really examine situations with depth and meaning. I also like what you said about Odysseus and civility. He also met so many forces that kept him from home, and he made it there, anyway. I hope it doesn’t take any of us as long to get home, but it’s hopeful that he gets there in spite of everything.
Agreed, Christina. Literature, mythology and poetry are ways were we an examine life situations and find meaning. I'm also heartened that Odysseus does make it home -- and I'm with you, I hope it doesn't take us that long. Still, to know in this story that addresses the homecoming in all of us, it's good to take heart that in spite of challenges, we may make the return and find wholeness. Thank you for your thoughtful insights and comment. Big hugs, my friend.
"An agreement to care"--the single most important thing this government (I can't call it "ours") is violating every single day. Thank you, Stephanie, for setting words to our collective dilemma.
Yes, that agreement to care is the one that needs our healing attention first. I appreciate the work you are doing on Substack with Guerrilla Readers @SusanWittigAlbert -- it helps us to understand the "how" of where we are and what we can do to move forward. Fostering understanding in this world is no small feat! Gratitude and admiration Susan. Write on!
This is gorgeous, Stephanie, thank you. I feel that war in my spirit too and am determined to hold out civility and compassion, to find a link between myself and most people around me. Write on, please.
Honored and happy to have you here, Christina. May we continue to work with civility and compassion and come to remember our oneness. And big YES to writing on. Thank you. With gratitude and admiration.
Stephanie, your beautiful, feminine and deeply wise words hold such depth and Truth. (Yep, I spelt that with a capital!) Necessary weight too, I want to add - for the way you lovingly reflect on belonging, resilience and the quiet power of hospitality, feels like honey for the heart and soul in these dark, desiccated times.
Your vivid imagery, most especially in your poem, captures that pull so well - between grief and endurance, between despair and the small, grounding moments that keep us steady and upright.
The idea of forging a new way home resonates deeply. I arrived here almost four months ago with one goal in mind: to seek kindred spirits. Numbers and buttons don't interest me, true connection does. It's why I write after all, to connect with others and of course, myself.
Thank you so much for sharing these soulful, thoughtful reflections. Your voice shines through all the noise, always offering love, light and wisdom. And I just have to say, what a brilliant poem title, it pulled me in right away!
Deborah, Yes to Truth with a capital "T," and to True connections, balm for the loneliness we created with being too digital, too divided. I read a note this morning that said we're moving away from mindless social media and into smaller, Internet communities that allow for connecting. Something about that felt right to me.
Writing my way in, is a way to dampen the chaos of these times. Poetry is a way to keep beauty and longing alive, even amidst the aching and despair.
Sending you so much appreciation and goodwill this day. May poems rise up within you and give you shelter from the storm. Biggest of hugs, dear poet friend.
Hi Stephanie, what a wonderfully insightful post. I love all of your words, but the following struck me: "So how do we fight this war? Not with rage or despair, but with resilience and resourcefulness—qualities that root us in adaptability and remind us of our shared humanity." We can only fight back with resilience and empathy -- and an understanding that we all do share our humanity. I am worn to the bone of what is going on in our country, and your post has provided me some comfort.
I love your interpretation of The Odyssey. And your poem is beautiful, telling, and spot-on. I treasure it.
I believe the reason we now live in such a cruel, apathetic culture is people's lack of a liberal arts education. Reading wonderful writing like yours, for example, might help others gain empathy.
Does anyone on the cruel side of things read anymore? I used to teach Humanities and English, and my goal was to help students understand the world better and their place in it, as well as to understand and empathize with others. I don't know if this had an impact on my students, but I tried. Usually my students, primarily business majors, would say, they couldn't wait to get Humanities and English out of the way, so they could get to their more important business classes. This is a symptom of our culture now.
Thank you, as always, for an excellent read that got me thinking and gave me comfort.
Beth, I could not agree more about the lack of liberal arts education. We lose so much when don't let literature, mythology, psychology and the arts inform us. The idea of getting English and the Humanities "out of the way" is a sad one and we do pay a price. That being said, most of the people that visit this Substack are of a like-mind when it comes to exploring the world through the lens of art and nature. I find comfort in that. Being in the midst of creatives feeds something essential in me. I think that's why/how you and I became such fast friends. Thank you for your thoughtful and insightful comment. Big hugs, sister and create on . . .
Ah, Stephanie, thank you for this wisdom, which feels as soothing as a cool drink of iced tea on a hot day. Your reminder that we must stay connected, reaching across and reaching out, honoring our "agreement to care" is just what I needed to hear today. May you find home and wholeness soon. A big hug and many blessings to you!
Stephanie, these words struck my hurting hearts like a bell.
In these days of division and upheaval, the thing most under siege seems to be our goodwill. Civility—the basic human agreement to treat one another with care—is unraveling before our eyes. And when our sense of connection breaks down, cruelty grows easily in the cracks.
Precisely, and harder still for my heart is that my efforts to extend good will seem to irritate rather than sooth, or are like sound with no timbre, like breezes with no scents, like music that has lost its overtones. You help me grieve this emptiness.
I understand that thwarted effort at goodwill, and rest in the knowledge that sometimes art can fill that space, a gift of beauty, longing and the ache. Write on, sister. Write on. We are not alone and your voice is important. Hugs.
Your words really met me where I am today - tired, and warding off despair at the hot insanity swirling in our beloved world. Love your illustration too Stephanie - fills me with peace & quiet resolve - thank you for speaking out from your wise core 🙏🏼
Linda, I'm so glad that you're here. I think we are all feeling weary and also resolved to find and exercise our resilience and our kindness in, as you call it, "our beloved world." Thank you for your thoughtful comment. Goodwill.
"picking politics from my teeth
and spit out the taste"
Love this so much!
It feels that way sometimes, yes? Thank you for your thoughtful comment. Wishing you all goodwill, old friend.
@Stephanie Raffelock - For me, your words carry both an ache and an antidote. You remind us that the longing for home is not mere nostalgiabut a moral compass pulling us toward belonging, toward one another, toward the dignity of being human.
There is something sacred in how you frame hospitality, both as a comfort and as a courageous act of connection in an era so frayed by fracture. And yes, in the cacophony of modern life, stories like The Odyssey become more than literary echoes, they become lifelines, guiding us back to the humane rhythms that shape our collective heart.
And your poem! Oh, how it sits both heavy and beautiful with me. The image of drinking tea while Texas burned, anchored in small acts when the world feels beyond reach, felt like a prayer for the exhausted among us, myself included. A true testament to endurance and to the kind of care that persists even when everything feels threadbare.
Thank you, Stephanie, for being a voice of remembering. A voice of return. I know I needed this.
With a warm heart and deep respect,
Bronce
Thank you, Bronce, for kind words and for deep understanding that heavy and beautiful can sit side by side in the heart; that in spite of fracture and frayed times, we have creativity and resilience within us; that there is a light in us that shines upon the intention to keep moving forward and find our way home. Sending you goodwill and gratitude. I'm so glad that you're here. Hugs across the miles.
Your poem is amazing, and so is the larger post. I like that you mentioned The Odyssey. I think literature is one of the places where we can really examine situations with depth and meaning. I also like what you said about Odysseus and civility. He also met so many forces that kept him from home, and he made it there, anyway. I hope it doesn’t take any of us as long to get home, but it’s hopeful that he gets there in spite of everything.
Agreed, Christina. Literature, mythology and poetry are ways were we an examine life situations and find meaning. I'm also heartened that Odysseus does make it home -- and I'm with you, I hope it doesn't take us that long. Still, to know in this story that addresses the homecoming in all of us, it's good to take heart that in spite of challenges, we may make the return and find wholeness. Thank you for your thoughtful insights and comment. Big hugs, my friend.
"An agreement to care"--the single most important thing this government (I can't call it "ours") is violating every single day. Thank you, Stephanie, for setting words to our collective dilemma.
Yes, that agreement to care is the one that needs our healing attention first. I appreciate the work you are doing on Substack with Guerrilla Readers @SusanWittigAlbert -- it helps us to understand the "how" of where we are and what we can do to move forward. Fostering understanding in this world is no small feat! Gratitude and admiration Susan. Write on!
This is gorgeous, Stephanie, thank you. I feel that war in my spirit too and am determined to hold out civility and compassion, to find a link between myself and most people around me. Write on, please.
Honored and happy to have you here, Christina. May we continue to work with civility and compassion and come to remember our oneness. And big YES to writing on. Thank you. With gratitude and admiration.
World, beings, battlegrounds.
Battered bodies, bruised brains, but...
Breathing, hearts beating.
...
Homesick for wholeness,
we wed, wield wise way weapons
Trust, truth in trenches.
...
Hospitality.
Open doors, gates, minds, hearts, hands.
Find kin, not rival.
Thank you Marisol, as always, for your poetic overview and insights. Sending you much appreciation and goodwill.
Stephanie, your beautiful, feminine and deeply wise words hold such depth and Truth. (Yep, I spelt that with a capital!) Necessary weight too, I want to add - for the way you lovingly reflect on belonging, resilience and the quiet power of hospitality, feels like honey for the heart and soul in these dark, desiccated times.
Your vivid imagery, most especially in your poem, captures that pull so well - between grief and endurance, between despair and the small, grounding moments that keep us steady and upright.
The idea of forging a new way home resonates deeply. I arrived here almost four months ago with one goal in mind: to seek kindred spirits. Numbers and buttons don't interest me, true connection does. It's why I write after all, to connect with others and of course, myself.
Thank you so much for sharing these soulful, thoughtful reflections. Your voice shines through all the noise, always offering love, light and wisdom. And I just have to say, what a brilliant poem title, it pulled me in right away!
Deborah, Yes to Truth with a capital "T," and to True connections, balm for the loneliness we created with being too digital, too divided. I read a note this morning that said we're moving away from mindless social media and into smaller, Internet communities that allow for connecting. Something about that felt right to me.
Writing my way in, is a way to dampen the chaos of these times. Poetry is a way to keep beauty and longing alive, even amidst the aching and despair.
Sending you so much appreciation and goodwill this day. May poems rise up within you and give you shelter from the storm. Biggest of hugs, dear poet friend.
For me it has become a fractured family. I am struggling for that feeling of home, of wholeness, of peace. Your words resonate- thank you.
The struggle is the human story, however it's framed. Thank you for being here and for commenting. All goodwill.
Stephanie 💖 lovely thoughts in eloquent words. Thanks for leaving a light on.
Lyssa, I love this: "thanks for leaving a light on." I feel like we can all do that for each other. Sending big hugs and much appreciation.
Hi Stephanie, what a wonderfully insightful post. I love all of your words, but the following struck me: "So how do we fight this war? Not with rage or despair, but with resilience and resourcefulness—qualities that root us in adaptability and remind us of our shared humanity." We can only fight back with resilience and empathy -- and an understanding that we all do share our humanity. I am worn to the bone of what is going on in our country, and your post has provided me some comfort.
I love your interpretation of The Odyssey. And your poem is beautiful, telling, and spot-on. I treasure it.
I believe the reason we now live in such a cruel, apathetic culture is people's lack of a liberal arts education. Reading wonderful writing like yours, for example, might help others gain empathy.
Does anyone on the cruel side of things read anymore? I used to teach Humanities and English, and my goal was to help students understand the world better and their place in it, as well as to understand and empathize with others. I don't know if this had an impact on my students, but I tried. Usually my students, primarily business majors, would say, they couldn't wait to get Humanities and English out of the way, so they could get to their more important business classes. This is a symptom of our culture now.
Thank you, as always, for an excellent read that got me thinking and gave me comfort.
Beth, I could not agree more about the lack of liberal arts education. We lose so much when don't let literature, mythology, psychology and the arts inform us. The idea of getting English and the Humanities "out of the way" is a sad one and we do pay a price. That being said, most of the people that visit this Substack are of a like-mind when it comes to exploring the world through the lens of art and nature. I find comfort in that. Being in the midst of creatives feeds something essential in me. I think that's why/how you and I became such fast friends. Thank you for your thoughtful and insightful comment. Big hugs, sister and create on . . .
I'm so glad we became friends too!
And, like you, I find that many people on Substack are open-minded. Keep writing your beautiful words!
Ah, Stephanie, thank you for this wisdom, which feels as soothing as a cool drink of iced tea on a hot day. Your reminder that we must stay connected, reaching across and reaching out, honoring our "agreement to care" is just what I needed to hear today. May you find home and wholeness soon. A big hug and many blessings to you!
Right back at ya! Thanks for your support and encouragement. Big hugs, sister.
Stephanie, these words struck my hurting hearts like a bell.
In these days of division and upheaval, the thing most under siege seems to be our goodwill. Civility—the basic human agreement to treat one another with care—is unraveling before our eyes. And when our sense of connection breaks down, cruelty grows easily in the cracks.
Precisely, and harder still for my heart is that my efforts to extend good will seem to irritate rather than sooth, or are like sound with no timbre, like breezes with no scents, like music that has lost its overtones. You help me grieve this emptiness.
I understand that thwarted effort at goodwill, and rest in the knowledge that sometimes art can fill that space, a gift of beauty, longing and the ache. Write on, sister. Write on. We are not alone and your voice is important. Hugs.
What a fabulous piece. It's such a pleasure to read your words of wisdom. Thank you!
Elizabeth, you are very kind. Thank you. I'm so glad that you're here. Sending so much goodwill.
This truly hits. Thank you for the acknowledgment of the struggle and the light between the cracks.
It all comes down to the light between the cracks, doesn't it. Thank you, Rebecca for being on this path with me. All goodwill. You are in my heart.
Thank you for this Stephanie, it's both balm and reminder 🙏🏻
Such a grace to be balm for each other in these challenging times. Thank you for your thoughtful comment.