Grieve, Work, Dance

October 19, 2025

Yesterday was an amazing day in America and in my own little corner of it. Millions of people across the country and the world gathered with flags, signs, and exuberance to say “No Kings in America.” From coast to coast, in small towns and big cities, communities marched, sang, chanted, and cheered for freedom, democracy, and justice. This is the American spirit like I haven’t seen or felt in months. This is true patriotism and love for our country.

Despite the fear-mongering from the Administration, these events, over 2,700 in all, were joyful, peaceful, and safe. No hate speech, no violence, no extremism. “We the people” joined together to remind ourselves and our government that the power is in our hands. This country belongs to all of us, not to a privileged few.

A few weeks ago, I listened to an especially moving podcast about how we get through these times. Glennon Doyle quoted a gay activist from the time of the AIDS epidemic: “We bury our friends in the morning, we march in the afternoon, and we dance at night.” We grieve, we work, we dance. This is how they got through that really hard and painful time.

I remember Psalm 30:5 that says, “Sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” It is a reminder that through this time of collective grief and struggle, joy is waiting in the wings, ready to lift us up into the light of a new day. Moments of joy and hope arise in our connection with others, in community, empathy, and shared purpose.

I think about how my own daily routine might fit into the “grieve, work, dance” model. In the morning: meditation/prayer, yoga, journal. Preparation for the day. Then I go to work, finding ways to serve, support, and advocate for the vulnerable in my community. It feels small in a world of big problems, but this is my work for now. As I heard on the podcast, Do what you can, when you can, if you can.

In the evening, “dance.” This looks like taking a walk, lighting a candle, listening to music, making dinner, and relaxing. It is peaceful, joyful, nourishing. We end the day by watching a nature video on YouTube to soothe our souls and help us sleep. We can let go of our cares a little easier with a goodnight kiss from Mother Earth.

I grieve for the children and immigrants being snatched up by ICE and treated like animals, some sent away to detention centers where no one is allowed to enter and check on them. I grieve for the families that are struggling to make ends meet, who are about to lose their healthcare, their jobs, and the right to live fully and freely. I grieve for our country.

I work to possibly make a difference, to bring relief, hope, and presence into my corner of the world. I try to use what I have to make life a little easier for others, even when I really don’t know what to do. I’ve learned that being present is often enough. “Joy comes in the morning” tells me each day is new and beautiful. I will seek and find the beauty, goodness, and truth that it holds for me. I will believe in that.

I dance with the relentless joy and optimism of my father, believing that we are held together by the love of God, no matter what. I dance to celebrate life and release the heaviness of it.

A new day can be envisioned and embraced by each of us. What does that look like? How can I help create it? What do I see in myself and others that reveals the presence and power of God? Together we grieve, work, and dance through this wild, difficult life. Our differences need not divide us; they can enrich us. We can find the common threads that will weave us together into a stronger whole.

John Lennon said, ‘Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end,’ and as this has always been true before, we can hope it will be again.We have all we need to come through. Against all odds, no matter what messes we’ve made over time, no matter how dark the night, we offer and are offered kindness, soul, light, and food, which create breath and spaciousness, which create hope. Sufficient unto the day.

-Anne Lamott, Almost Everything.

Rise & Rock On,

ej

Elisa J. Juarez