The past year has been very stressful for a number of people. I have certainly experienced a roller coaster of emotions over the course of the election campaign, and blogged (vlogged) about my own personal issues with family, my health, and so forth.

But I know I am far from the only person here who has endured such extremes of anger, depression, despair, outrage, helplessness, and the general sense of melancholy that pervades all of us who went through what was a historic and historically terrible year in our nation's and our world's history. I don't think you need a recitation of all that has occurred, events that allowed us to bear witness to the heights of anomie and amorality among our political elites, and their hypocrisy, cruelty and willingness to do violence against those they consider beneath them, the powerless and the oppressed.

However, recently I've seen tragedy affect the lives of many people I know, either online or in person, in "meat space" to use a rather vulgar colloquialism.

For one example, there was daughter's childhood friend died at the age of 21 in early December, a young man struck down before he haven't had a chance to grow into adulthood, and the sorrow and grief of his family, and for me, his mother, a good friend.

Not to forget the trials and tribulations of a number of people here in this very community, many of whom you know, people who are dealing with severe emotional, physical and spiritual troubles and suffering, such as the terminal illness of a spouse, the loss of one's parent, the hard work of trying to care for a loved one, and the economic disruption for so many struggling to find a way out of situations that would crush my spirit were I in their shoes.

And today, I learned belatedly about the December 30th death of Terrence Heath's husband, Rick. Terrence is a long time blogger and, for a time a co-front page blogger with me at Booman Tribune. I always enjoyed reading his blog when he was actively engaged in posting to it, The Republic of T, for his insight and unique perspective on how his life as a gay black man intersected with our crazed political discourse. I was happy for him when he realized his life's dream of marrying the man he loved and adopting two children, assuming the role of parent that has been denied to gay people so often in the past. A role he eagerly sought and joyously played.

Now, after reading his Facebook page posts, the grief I read in his own words regarding the death of his husband breaks my heart. A widower and now a single parent who lost his soulmate, he is clearly struggling each day to maintain some semblance of a life for his two sons and himself in the face of both emotional and financial losses of great magnitude.

In America, we often, as individuals, and as communities, don't do much to help out one another, for we have this perverted ethos of rugged individualism, which all too often results in shunning and berating those who can't "do for themselves" in times of need. Nor does our government, at any level, adequately provide the help an assistance that so many of us need during bad times. Indeed, we have just watched as one President, who deliberately prevaricated and misled the public regarding the the state of our economy as it relates to the majority of Americans has just handed over the most powerful elected office under our federal system of government to a man who has no understanding or empathy for those who don't travel in the rarefied society of the rich and famous, even though he campaigned as the champion of the "little guy," defeating a candidate whose greatest argument for electing her was that she wasn't that man.

So, I understand that the stress with which all of us have been burdened is driving us into a dystopian world view, one in which fascism and corporate feudalism seems the inevitable outcome. I personally feel "burned out" (to use an old expression) with respect to blogging and reporting on the dangerous and monstrous travesty of a society that our country has become.

But, if I know one thing it is this: nothing stays the same, for change is the only constant in the universe. It's true that many of us are distressed, we are suffering dis-ease, to borrow a term often used by modern Buddhist teachers and commentators, and that our pain, whether mental or physical, is real. Indeed, the two are interrelated and interconnected at a deep level. The only way to overcome this pain that I know is to remember that we are all in this struggle together. We are all, or should be all, our sisters and brothers keepers. And despite differences in political opinions, in belief systems, in the lives we lead, and in our own individual circumstances, past and present, we share more similarities with one another than those who would divide us and marginalize us because a divisive populace benefits them, would prefer us to recognize.

Today, if you can, take a moment, an hour or even an entire day, and tune out the negative miasma that has descended upon us, fueled by those who seek to profit off our misery and anger and despair. Imagine and ponder what you can do to help one other person you know. It could be a family member, a friend or even a complete stranger. Then, in the days to come, take action to effect what you contemplated. Give something of yourself to make that person's life better, to relieve, if only for a while, their pain and their suffering.

In my humble opinion, this is the best way to shake off the blues, through service and deeds of compassion for others. For when we consider others and put their interests before our own, it has been my experience that we receive back an even greater gift, the gift of connecting to the rest of humanity, and the knowledge that evil is not always triumphant. And then, step by step, work toward expanding that circle of giving to an ever larger number of people. The mere act of doing something positive, whatever it may be, changes one's attitude at a fundamental level, and restores one's, for lack of a better word, soul.

And the more one practices doing good in the world, the more you can inspire others to do the same. Indeed, to quote the old truism attributed to Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Good luck to you all,

Steve