one of my threads is that on Saturday my husband who is house bound muister up the energy to go to the proterst in our town with me. It meant loading up his wheel chair and all that entails but he was ther waving his signs with the rest of us.
You, John, are one of my threads. A very important one. Seeing video of all the No Kings protests was a thread that gave me so much hope. Listening to my teenage grandchildren agree with my point of view not because they’re just being kind to me but because they truly agree. That’s a strong thread! Please keep up the great work, John🤗
I drove into the Colorado mountains with my visiting brother. It was beautiful and quiet and peaceful, and it made me remember how much the earth brings me joy. It gave me a chance to breathe. And it made me remember how much bigger than the human race this earth is.
Birdsong in the morning. It just fills me up with momentary joy. And I give thanks for another day. And that deer I saw last night when I was walking. The blooming garden come to life after a dark winter. Nature sooths my soul. Centers me. Reminds me that renewal is not only possible but inevitable. Connection at that June 14th No Kings protest rally, surrounded by hundreds, that collective spirit that said we the people will make a difference because we do. Thank you for telling the hard truths with compassion. We need your voice. We have your back.
One of my threads is we're seriously considering adopting a dog (or two!). I find switching my mind just to the possibilities and such brings a welcome spurt of joy. Our dog of 13 yrs passed several months ago and we feel ready to let our hearts open up again to that love only dogs can bring.
Oh please do this!!! Sounds like you will be a wonderful fur-ever home for a dog (or two!) And remember, we don't find our dogs, our dogs find us. So stay open!!!
Please do! There are so many dogs in distress. I work with KPAL (kenai peninsula animal lovers) in my part of Alaska. I don't want to adopt (my cats refuse), but I help weekly. Over the last year, I have helped train at least 10 puppies and find their forever home. For a depressed person, I found hugging a puppy was surprisingly good.
If your in need of your forever animal, please adopt.
I don’t think I can properly express how grateful, how profoundly grateful I am, that I found your substack. Nobody has the ability to articulate so completely, so beautifully, so viscerally, what I am feeling. Every single day, I search for the joy and I find it, like you said, in little simple moments. One of them, and possibly one of the most important things I need during these chaotic, tumultuous and depressing times, is humor. I must have humor my life. Humor is the vaccine for the disease known as Donald Trump and his minions. Another one is Nature. Mother Nature is the elixir of the soul; seeing the flowers, the birds, the bees, even annoying flies that buzz around the kitchen when you’ve left the screen door ajar, brings me joy. All these things have the ability to ground us…and they cost us nothing. There are no tariffs on humor, no tariffs on Mother Nature.
My husband and I celebrated our anniversary recently. Making time to honor these milestones is an important thread. We visited a wine region, had 2 amazing meals, and stayed in a gorgeous out-of-the-way retreat. I put the news away for a couple of days and returned recharged for this fight.
Once again you have fed my soul and helped me breathe a little through your honest vulnerability about the things that I, too, am feeling ... And by your entirely do-able call to not miss the small tangible positive threads that still make daily life a joy. I will walk with your reminder to notice that tapestry of small important good things God has given each day- and let them lift my heart. Grateful for you. Keep writing.
I am currently experience ing anhedonia.. trying to dis associate.. but hanging on by a thread. Every new anhialation hits like a gut blow . And reminds me of all the efforts and words I said to my mother and siblings... And the CRUEL words they said to me.
You deserve respect. I hope that you find a way to hang in there. 1 What kind things made you feel better in the past? 2 What, if you could turn back the hands of time, would you do differently?
Posting here today is another thread for you today. I am assuming since you are on John's site this your family discord is relate to values and politics. You may not see are hear from us, but we, in the same situation, are your invisible threads. Have they ever been supportive and valued your opinion? One thing about Trump, he triggers a lot of old wounds. He has been a boost for for therapist. Meditation, therapy, journaling including gratitude list, political activism, friends and like minded groups are helping me stay grounded and resist.
No I have never been accepted. I've never measured up. Still trying to with my 97-year-old mother but that's really over. I said goodbye to her but yeah you're right it brings up all the wounds and it hits you in the gut every time an annihilation comes down the train which is why every hour it's another gut blow and they all claim to be Christian and they say I'm on the wrong side and I'm the enemy and they call me names and it's just like what. So yeah a lot of confusion. Lot of trauma
I bought food for homeless man and his dod this morning. He was so grateful. I also gave him $10 for later needs. It was something I could do. He said YOU ARE A REMINDER THAT THERE ARE GOOD PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD.WELL, he is one too, holding it all together and making sure his dog gets enough to eat.
You are one of the threads that is holding me together in the face of so much ugliness and hatred. Your kindness to the homeless man and his heartfelt response to it helped me to remember that kindness is something we can all practice to remind ourselves that there still ARE good people in the world…
One of the joys of my life has been volunteering at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Out of the blue, one of my sister docents designed and gifted me a t-shirt which poetically lists the qualities she sees in me (and which I value). I have been flying high on that energy ever since.
Your words always stop me—sometimes like a benediction, sometimes like a blow to the chest—but always with that unmistakable signature: truth shaped by kindness. That’s not easy to do, especially now. But you do it. Daily. And it matters.
You’re right—life is the thread. It’s not the thunderclap, not the avalanche. It’s the glint of joy that slips between the cracks. It’s the sound of laughter with no punchline. It’s the clatter of a drum track nailed perfectly in the next room, or the way a leftover meal turns sacramental. It’s the sudden high-five from a child who doesn’t know your name but recognizes something good in your presence.
I read your post this morning and thought: This is how we fight back.
Not just against despair, but against the cruelty, the chaos, the cold machinery of indifference that’s trying to take this country and its soul hostage. Every time you show up and write, every time we pause to read or respond, it’s not just words—it’s resistance. It’s repair.
These small threads you name—they are the rope. They’re the thing we tie to when the storm rolls in. And the miracle is, when we’re strong enough to say, “Here, take this end,” we become the rope for someone else.
And I see that in your work, John. Your courage creates space for ours. Your honesty gives us permission to drop the act, to say “I’m not okay, but I’m still here.” And your relentless human goodness? It shows us that maybe being present, being kind, being real—is enough to carry someone through a brutal morning.
I try to respond to everything you write because you give me cause to pour out my soul in kind. You speak not at us, but with us—and that’s rare. And necessary.
So here’s what I’ll say back, from the battlefield of this broken republic:
Yes, the future is charged with darkness. Yes, the storm is real. But so are we.
And we are many.
We are stubborn.
We are still showing up.
We are the high-five in traffic.
We are the Sly Stone at red lights.
We are the stranger’s kind email.
We are the thread.
And together, thread by thread, we’ll stitch this republic back to itself. We’ll chase the darkness back into the depths from which it came because this fight is not just about policy. It’s about the soul. And you remind us—so beautifully—that the soul is worth saving.
one of my threads is that on Saturday my husband who is house bound muister up the energy to go to the proterst in our town with me. It meant loading up his wheel chair and all that entails but he was ther waving his signs with the rest of us.
Thanks for making the extra effort. With enough threads we can make a beautiful strong tent of protection.
You, John, are one of my threads. A very important one. Seeing video of all the No Kings protests was a thread that gave me so much hope. Listening to my teenage grandchildren agree with my point of view not because they’re just being kind to me but because they truly agree. That’s a strong thread! Please keep up the great work, John🤗
Love your list of happy moments! It is remembering these that keep us sane. You are a wonderful force on this planet!
I drove into the Colorado mountains with my visiting brother. It was beautiful and quiet and peaceful, and it made me remember how much the earth brings me joy. It gave me a chance to breathe. And it made me remember how much bigger than the human race this earth is.
Birdsong in the morning. It just fills me up with momentary joy. And I give thanks for another day. And that deer I saw last night when I was walking. The blooming garden come to life after a dark winter. Nature sooths my soul. Centers me. Reminds me that renewal is not only possible but inevitable. Connection at that June 14th No Kings protest rally, surrounded by hundreds, that collective spirit that said we the people will make a difference because we do. Thank you for telling the hard truths with compassion. We need your voice. We have your back.
One of my threads is we're seriously considering adopting a dog (or two!). I find switching my mind just to the possibilities and such brings a welcome spurt of joy. Our dog of 13 yrs passed several months ago and we feel ready to let our hearts open up again to that love only dogs can bring.
Oh please do this!!! Sounds like you will be a wonderful fur-ever home for a dog (or two!) And remember, we don't find our dogs, our dogs find us. So stay open!!!
Please do! There are so many dogs in distress. I work with KPAL (kenai peninsula animal lovers) in my part of Alaska. I don't want to adopt (my cats refuse), but I help weekly. Over the last year, I have helped train at least 10 puppies and find their forever home. For a depressed person, I found hugging a puppy was surprisingly good.
If your in need of your forever animal, please adopt.
I don’t think I can properly express how grateful, how profoundly grateful I am, that I found your substack. Nobody has the ability to articulate so completely, so beautifully, so viscerally, what I am feeling. Every single day, I search for the joy and I find it, like you said, in little simple moments. One of them, and possibly one of the most important things I need during these chaotic, tumultuous and depressing times, is humor. I must have humor my life. Humor is the vaccine for the disease known as Donald Trump and his minions. Another one is Nature. Mother Nature is the elixir of the soul; seeing the flowers, the birds, the bees, even annoying flies that buzz around the kitchen when you’ve left the screen door ajar, brings me joy. All these things have the ability to ground us…and they cost us nothing. There are no tariffs on humor, no tariffs on Mother Nature.
One of my favorite poems for about 15 years:
The Way It Is
There’s a thread you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn’t change.
People wonder about what you are pursuing.
You have to explain about the thread.
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it you can’t get lost.
Tragedies happen; people get hurt
or die; and you suffer and get old.
Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding.
You don’t ever let go of the thread.
~ William Stafford ~
Thanks, John! You’re appreciated!
Thanks
Suzanne, thanks so much for this.
My husband and I celebrated our anniversary recently. Making time to honor these milestones is an important thread. We visited a wine region, had 2 amazing meals, and stayed in a gorgeous out-of-the-way retreat. I put the news away for a couple of days and returned recharged for this fight.
Once again you have fed my soul and helped me breathe a little through your honest vulnerability about the things that I, too, am feeling ... And by your entirely do-able call to not miss the small tangible positive threads that still make daily life a joy. I will walk with your reminder to notice that tapestry of small important good things God has given each day- and let them lift my heart. Grateful for you. Keep writing.
I am currently experience ing anhedonia.. trying to dis associate.. but hanging on by a thread. Every new anhialation hits like a gut blow . And reminds me of all the efforts and words I said to my mother and siblings... And the CRUEL words they said to me.
You deserve respect. I hope that you find a way to hang in there. 1 What kind things made you feel better in the past? 2 What, if you could turn back the hands of time, would you do differently?
Posting here today is another thread for you today. I am assuming since you are on John's site this your family discord is relate to values and politics. You may not see are hear from us, but we, in the same situation, are your invisible threads. Have they ever been supportive and valued your opinion? One thing about Trump, he triggers a lot of old wounds. He has been a boost for for therapist. Meditation, therapy, journaling including gratitude list, political activism, friends and like minded groups are helping me stay grounded and resist.
No I have never been accepted. I've never measured up. Still trying to with my 97-year-old mother but that's really over. I said goodbye to her but yeah you're right it brings up all the wounds and it hits you in the gut every time an annihilation comes down the train which is why every hour it's another gut blow and they all claim to be Christian and they say I'm on the wrong side and I'm the enemy and they call me names and it's just like what. So yeah a lot of confusion. Lot of trauma
Please know that your u are loved - by all of us here and unconditionally by God.
I bought food for homeless man and his dod this morning. He was so grateful. I also gave him $10 for later needs. It was something I could do. He said YOU ARE A REMINDER THAT THERE ARE GOOD PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD.WELL, he is one too, holding it all together and making sure his dog gets enough to eat.
Thank you for sharing your experience
You are one of the threads that is holding me together in the face of so much ugliness and hatred. Your kindness to the homeless man and his heartfelt response to it helped me to remember that kindness is something we can all practice to remind ourselves that there still ARE good people in the world…
Trying...
Keep trying…
Laughs with family, gardening, playing piano for myself or the once per month at my Unity church. Prayer and meditation.
One of the joys of my life has been volunteering at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Out of the blue, one of my sister docents designed and gifted me a t-shirt which poetically lists the qualities she sees in me (and which I value). I have been flying high on that energy ever since.
John,
Your words always stop me—sometimes like a benediction, sometimes like a blow to the chest—but always with that unmistakable signature: truth shaped by kindness. That’s not easy to do, especially now. But you do it. Daily. And it matters.
You’re right—life is the thread. It’s not the thunderclap, not the avalanche. It’s the glint of joy that slips between the cracks. It’s the sound of laughter with no punchline. It’s the clatter of a drum track nailed perfectly in the next room, or the way a leftover meal turns sacramental. It’s the sudden high-five from a child who doesn’t know your name but recognizes something good in your presence.
I read your post this morning and thought: This is how we fight back.
Not just against despair, but against the cruelty, the chaos, the cold machinery of indifference that’s trying to take this country and its soul hostage. Every time you show up and write, every time we pause to read or respond, it’s not just words—it’s resistance. It’s repair.
These small threads you name—they are the rope. They’re the thing we tie to when the storm rolls in. And the miracle is, when we’re strong enough to say, “Here, take this end,” we become the rope for someone else.
And I see that in your work, John. Your courage creates space for ours. Your honesty gives us permission to drop the act, to say “I’m not okay, but I’m still here.” And your relentless human goodness? It shows us that maybe being present, being kind, being real—is enough to carry someone through a brutal morning.
I try to respond to everything you write because you give me cause to pour out my soul in kind. You speak not at us, but with us—and that’s rare. And necessary.
So here’s what I’ll say back, from the battlefield of this broken republic:
Yes, the future is charged with darkness. Yes, the storm is real. But so are we.
And we are many.
We are stubborn.
We are still showing up.
We are the high-five in traffic.
We are the Sly Stone at red lights.
We are the stranger’s kind email.
We are the thread.
And together, thread by thread, we’ll stitch this republic back to itself. We’ll chase the darkness back into the depths from which it came because this fight is not just about policy. It’s about the soul. And you remind us—so beautifully—that the soul is worth saving.
I’m still here, John.
And I’m grateful you are, too.