My response to Paris

This is a pic of me and Charlotte in Montmartre this summer. We intend to go back. 

(This is my newsletter from Monday. As soon as news of the attacks hit media, Justin and I were keeping track. Then I had to step back. Here's a bit on why.)

Hi guys,

I'm sure that you've got tons of things on your mind. And if you want to skip to the bottom with ANNOUNCEMENTS and CLASSES and FUN THINGS FOR THE HOLIDAY, then please do. 

It's Monday so there's that. 

Also the craziness that is erupting around the world boggles my mind/heart. While I used to go down the rabbit hole to find out everything I could about such tragedies, I have to admit that I tend to ignore the details of these things now. 

Shocked at my willful ignorance? That's ok- let me explain. About 9 years ago I was reading every newspaper I could get my hands on, the Economist and some online publications along with Vogue and New York Magazine. Needless to say I spent a lot of my time in righteous outrage mode. "How could they?" "What idiots would...?" "These morons who run our country..." 

It's easy to be in that place. It's a place of moral superiority (ha sometimes justified). It's also a place of anger and sadness about the injustices that befall truly innocent people. And yet, I didn't think it was doing me any good. 

So I stopped cold turkey. I went on a media fast. For the better part of one year I didn't read a darn thing except for books. 

And guess what happened? 

My life got better. I was calmer. More content. And less caught up in dissecting the evil and stupid things taking place in the world. 

It didn't mean that I didn't care. In fact, during that time I started a meditation practice. I would breathe in the name of a person/country/group and breathe out love. 

I felt connected to the greater scheme of things in a way that I had never felt before. Sure, someone had to explainDarfur to me, but I found that just being in the modern world I absorbed what was going on in the world via osmosis. 

These days I read the Economist sporadically and the Skim daily. Honestly facebook posts and my husband also keep me abreast of current events. So with this latest heinous crime against humanity, I've chosen not to delve into the details. For me and my mental health it's best to find a way to contribute to the world by opting out of the 24 hour news cycle. 

Don't get me wrong, I think it's good to be informed, but I don't need to do the online equivalent of stopping traffic while I slow down to look at the car accident. 

That said, however you choose to engage with tragedies, please make it a conscious decision. 

 So, happy Monday, make it magical, and spread some love in this world.