My friend Kim was taking care of her dad in his last days, when she read a column by former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy titled, “We Could All Use a Soul Box.” He says a soul box is a collection of hopeful things to look at when you are down. His includes a clip of Kevin Durant’s MVP speech– the one where Kevin says his mom is the real MVP. Kim now keeps a soul box journal. She likes to copy poems into it. She told me that she added one that I shared called So Much Happiness by Naomi Shihab Nye.
That a friend reads what I write is honor plenty, but that she saves the poem I liked enough to share is really something. Think about it—it makes her happy, me happy, and I hope Naomi happy — and there you have it: words, like Thoreau’s firewood, can warm us three or four or who knows many times?
This leaning of we humans toward goodness is deeper though. Like the doctor knows–good stuff is good for our souls. Who isn’t moved by kind words and acts no matter what our political perspective? It makes us feel good because it is good. Trust your instincts on this.
Take the recent campaign email from Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (JKT to Alaskans). He is from Sitka, grew up with my kids and is very close to being our next governor. In it, JKT doesn’t mention his opponents, much less disparage them. He doesn’t try to scare anyone into voting for him. His campaign is about funding schools, protecting fish and working with everyone, not just his party for the common good. He is normal and nice. Instead of the usual politics, he shared a story that will go into my soul box. It’s the one about Backpack, the new Alaska Fat Bear Champion. (Tis bear-eating- like-crazy- to- store-up-for-winter season.) JKT notes that Backpack was so named because when he was a cub, he hurt his leg and his mother, Holly (also a Fat Bear Champion in her day) carried him on her back until he could walk on his own. She saved his life.
There is more than one way to let nature to take her course, isn’t there?
As JKT said:
“Alaskans (bears and humans alike) know that we need one another. And we know how important it is to take care of the next generation, too… That’s the spirit that allows a wounded cub to grow up to become Fat Bear Champion.”
You’d have to be living under a rock not to know that Alaska is the center of the election world right now. It’s astounding to read about people we know in the New York Times like JKT and Mary (Peltola). They are both all over the news because they are both winning, popular blues in a red state, or as I prefer to say, bluenecks. (Which is from the title of a great real country song, by the way.) After one negative article on our Mary, an Alaskan voter told an inquiring journalist that Mary could hit her on the head with a hammer and she’d still vote to make her our next senator.
That is funny— and Mary wouldn’t do that – but when the only alternative supports the leering cruelty of the administration completely–without any reservations– it’s true. This is all okay with the current senator. Enough already. It’s time for a soul-saving course correction. I am very grateful to have JKT and Mary to vote for.
