#105 The Politics of Grief...

The political stalemate we are witnessing is, in my opinion, a manifestation of our ways of dealing with grief in the wake of 9/11. Being angry, self-destructive, and having an extreme desire to be in complete control, is one way of dealing with overwhelming loss. Recognizing and accepting the magnitude of the loss, using the energy of the void to create something positive, reaching out to comfort and support others is another way.

There is no doubt in my mind that a traumatic event can make the world stand still. But how we view the world after  the dust clears and our shock dissipates is what divides the pessimists from the optimists; the stuck from those ready to rebuild.

Grieving and mourning take time and no one way is "correct". Recognizing and accepting that truth might allow us to be gentle with each other instead of lashing out and cementing  the dysfunction that so clearly grips our nation. The different political views could be mirroring different ways of grieving or be, more simply, a sign that some are further down the road in their journey to heal. Maybe we just need to hold the "other" in the light of love and give them reassurance that, even though they deny it, all will be well.

Just a thought.

Vendala Rose. Digital photograph. 2011

-karen anne