On the second day of President Trump’s presidency, it is difficult to watch what’s going on. Here’s an update on my advice to you:
This is your home.
There has been an increase in commentary telling people to go back to where they came from. Remember that all of us came from this earth, and all of us will return to the earth. You are no better, nor any lesser than your friends, your neighbors, your enemies, your bullies. Don’t let anyone tell you to “go back” somewhere, and don’t tell anyone to “go back” somewhere.
Take care of your home and it will take care of you.
Look around you. See the trees and the animals around you? They take care of you. They have existed before us and will continue to exist after us. See the buildings, the temples of worship and places of gathering? They take care of your community. They were created by our ancestors and gifted to you. Your job is to take care of your gifts so you have gifts for your children.
Do not set on fire anything that is not yours. Do not make a statement with fire, do it with pen and paper. Do not vandalise in the night when no one is watching. If you cannot say it in the light, remove it from your tongue and from your mind. It is not worthy of utterance. Do not deface this earth, not by carving into trees or writing on walls. Do not destroy anything around you because they came before you did. The only way to eternity is to leave a legacy of kindness and compassion in face of the greatest unkindness.
Take care of your home, for it is on loan to you, and shared with your brothers and sisters. If you take more care of money, which will come and go in your lifetime, your home will suffer and her wounds will eliminate you because as I wrote above, things existed before you, and will go after you.
Be honest.
You will run many races. You will win some, you will lose some. When you win, do not gloat. Do not step on the fallen. Thank your opponent for making you work to be where you are, and ask that they help keep you on your toes to be the best that you can be. And work towards being able to invite your opponent to work with you. Do not form a team that agrees with you. Form teams that are honest with you, and when you do, the team will naturally have diversity.
After the race is run, accept the results. Do not disrespect the winner if you’ve lost, do not disregard the process and everyone who helped to make it happen. Do not leave without addressing those who have supported and opposed you. Make it clear that you will continue to do the good work you have been doing. And if you were seeking a title in order to stop working, please call me on my phone if I’m alive, and if I’m not, come to my grave. We need to talk.
Do not leave school.
Right now, thousands if not millions of students in the US are walking out of their classrooms to protest President Trump.
In this life, you will often lose. Things will often not go your way. You will have fears. But you will never walk out of a school. You will not use words you do not fully understand.
Understand that access to a comprehensice education is the greatest right I am fighting for, aside from food, water, shelter and safety. If you don’t understand this, please study Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
IN SHORT:
Concede to results of races past gracefully. Understand that for as long as you are fighting yesterday’s battle, you cannot see today’s challenges and you will lose tomorrow as well.
love,
your mother
motherwarriors 