There are days when the air feels thick, as if every breath must be forced through a veil woven with uncertainty and urgency. Lately, it seems that each morning in America is greeted not by lightness, but by the heaviness of questions that linger in the national consciousness. Life, always a complicated journey, has in recent years taken on an additional gravity—one shaped by politics, collective anxiety, and the ever-accelerating pace of evolution in the world.

To be alive now is to feel the weight of living in a country at a crossroads. The daily routines that once grounded us—commuting to work, gathering with friends, planning for the future—have been complicated by an undercurrent of apprehension. It’s not just the news cycles that seem relentless, but the sense that the very ground beneath us is shifting. Economic uncertainties, climate disasters, and debates about identity and justice all swirl together, making it nearly impossible to detach from the collective sense of unease.

Many Americans feel that the social contract is fraying. The COVID pandemic ripped away our sense of normalcy, laying bare the vulnerabilities of public health, the economy, and even our connections to one another. Beneath the surface, people carry silent burdens: the worry of job security, the pressure to stay informed yet not overwhelmed, and the struggle to find meaning in a world that feels increasingly unpredictable and to be honest, a bit frightening.

Politics in America has always been contentious, but the last decade has seen polarization harden into something more formidable—a wall that divides not just parties, but families, friends, and neighbors. The rise of social media has amplified every disagreement, turning nuanced debates into viral sound bites and memes. Algorithms feed us curated outrage, reinforcing our biases rather than challenging them. It’s easy to feel as though everyone is shouting, and no one is listening. The feeling is isolating yet paradoxically unites many in a shared sense of fatigue.

At the heart of political heaviness is a struggle for the soul of the nation. Democracy in this nation is in a stranglehold. We are in a fundamental contest over who we are and who we wish to become. Issues like voting rights, immigration, gun control, and reproductive freedoms are not merely policy debates; they are reflections of deeper anxieties about belonging, power, and change. Our constitution is in peril; our existence is becoming something that we never imagined.

 I admit sitting in a fugue state some days reading the news trying to understand what is happening and why and how… When you add the disasters that seem to be spreading worldwide now: earthquakes, fires, tornados unlike anything ever seen, violent storms, tsunamis, and wars. It is all SO MUCH, SO MUCH… Amid these sweeping changes, the private burdens of individuals can feel particularly acute. Mental health struggles rise as people grapple with loneliness, uncertainty, and the pressure to “keep up” with a world that rarely pauses for breath. The search for stability becomes an act of quiet resistance—a cup of coffee savored in the morning, watching the birds come to feed outside, a walk in nature, a conversation with a loved one.

But for many, there is also guilt in seeking solace. The world’s problems seem too urgent, too pressing, to allow ourselves the luxury of rest. Activism and engagement feel necessary but can also be exhausting. Each day brings a new headline, a new crisis; each cause demands time, emotion, and attention that feel, at times, like finite resources. Know this,  it is okay to breathe, to take a day, to take a bit of time to quiet your mind, to soothe your soul. TO JUST BE. The evolution is not going to stop, it never does. It is okay to take the time to find your balance and to get in step with the world.