Your Concerns, Your Ways of Coping

Here are a very incomplete list of your responses to two questions I asked yesterday: What are you most afraid of today? And How are you coping?

I’m still reading through all your thoughtful, intense, painful (and sometimes funny) responses. Have been needing to dip into the fear/dawning knowledge/feelings and then dip out again – back to jumping up frantically to get my son a tissue when he rage-screams “MY BOOGIE!” and making a quiche. (Please don’t haul me off for elitism, I promise it was a simple and pretty disgusting quiche and that I almost never make them).

Anna

I am afraid for Ukraine

Sacha

Most afraid of: Losing Congress

Coping by finding ways to be generous to others. By doing nice things.

Deb

Losing my health insurance. Losing our planet to climate change. Losing my daughter, who’s getting married soon, to an ectopic pregnancy. Losing my dignity to rampant and unrelenting misogyny and bullying. Losing my mind from stress.

Sarah

I’m scared of the rise of childhood diseases because of misinformation on vaccination. I’m afraid of RFK. Why do we have to watch children die just to believe that vaccines are worth it.

Julia

I am afraid of forgetting. I am buying pie.

Avital

Coping by going outside with my newborn daughter, dog Ernie, and husband.

(Ernie!)

Hannah

Exchanging missives of love with friends and family. Patiently layering an eggplant lasagna. Spooning with my four-legged floof (cat).

Kara

The Supreme Court. It was always the Supreme Court. And now musk and Thiel and Vance.

Christian

I’m afraid of all the people, and especially the young trans and queer kids, who won’t be here in four years (if there even are elections anymore). It’s going to get worse for them and I’m terrified that they won’t make it. And honestly I’m coping by going nu,b. I think if I allow myself to feel I’ll break.

Gretchen

I feel the ice caps melting today.

Kate

Afraid: not knowing if this is a shitty bump or the world being dismantled. 

Coping: gathering my people close.

Line

afraid of losing my human rights.

coping by kicking and punching (kickboxing).

Elizabeth

Coping by stress-eating and watching Christmas movies.

Jen

Where will my body be when they come for immigrants in my neighborhood? (I live in Queens.)

What can I give my child to help him survive and fight for what is right in what our country becomes? (He is 16.)

Heather

Afraid - my kid turns 18 during the next presidency. I am learning about the coast guard in case national service in the military is required. 

Coping - making a list of books about American History, & medicine that I want to find used. I’m feeling very Fahrenheit 451 this time around.

Patricia

I’m afraid that my grandchildren’s future will be ruined by the new administration’s policies about climate change. I’m afraid their eductions will suffer. 

I’m coping by ordering too much yarn online. We are renovating our new garden, that is a great distraction.

Caroline

I'm afraid for the world my children will inherit: will it even be livable? Will we have National Parks? Clean water? Breathable air? Will anyone but billionaires be able to survive?

I'm coping by listening to my Feminist Rage playlist, and lifting weights to get strong for the coming fight.

Elizabeth

Personally: I’m 70, retired, disabled, and my entire income is Social Security. I’m terrified of what’s going to happen if I lose that. Coping? Kissing dogs.

Katie

That if there’s a large natural disaster in blue states that we won’t get the help we need to recover.

That so many things we take for granted to make our complicated multicultural world operate will be broken beyond repair.

That scientists who are working hard on life saving cures for diseases will lose their funding and resources.

That protected wild places will be turned over for logging and mining.

That public education will be defunded at every level.

Just some of the things I was worrying about last night when I should have been sleeping.

Coping? Breathing. Scrolling (it helps break my thought loops). Hugging with friends. Making plans.

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Here’s my list of my own immediate, self-centered worries (there are many other worries, but I think I’m coping by focusing on the immediate. There’s plenty there).