The Light That Never Goes Out: A Call to Keep Going in Dark Times

I don't know what to tell you, exactly. The world is hard right now. Maybe it's always been hard, but there were years when we weren't paying as much attention, or we had more faith that things would work out. Maybe we still had the sense that goodness would inevitably triumph, that kindness would prevail, that history bent-however slowly-toward justice.

But lately, it feels like something has shifted, doesn't it? The air is heavier. The news tighter around our chests. There's a weariness, a resignation that seeps into our bones, whispering: What's the point?

The point is, we don't give up. Not now. Not ever.

Yes, things are bleak. But this is not the first time we've been here. And if history has taught us anything, it's that the human spirit is resilient. We've seen revolutions born from despair, love rise up against unimaginable hate, and justice claw its way out of the shadows of oppression.

When Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison, he didn't know if he'd ever be free. He didn't know if his country would ever rid itself of apartheid. But he believed. He held on. He said, "It always seems impossible until it is done." And it was done. Because people didn't stop fighting for it.

When Harriet Tubman escaped slavery, she could have stopped at her own freedom. She could have said, "This is enough. I made it." But instead, she turned around and went back-again and again-risking everything to lead others to freedom.

Because that is what we do: we carry each other forward.

We get tired, yes. We get discouraged. We want to turn off the news and shut the world out. But then we remember: we have been here before. And every single time, the way forward has been the same-one foot in front of the other.

We cannot lose the hope that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz gave us-the belief that democracy still works, that justice can still prevail, that progress is still possible. Kamala told us, "We are not going to let anyone silence us. We will not be deterred. We will not be distracted. We will not be dissuaded. We will not be afraid." And we need to take those words and plant them deep in our hearts. Because fear is the tool of those who want us to give up.

You don't have to fix everything today. You don't have to solve every crisis, heal every wound, or lift every burden. You just have to do something. Pick up the piece that is yours to carry. Bring a meal to someone who needs it. Stand up for a person whose voice is being drowned out. Read to a child. Hold a friend's hand when they're unraveling.

In 1968, when Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated, James Baldwin said, "The world is held together, really it is, held together, by the love and the passion of a very few people." And that is still true.

• Right now, somewhere, a teacher is telling a child that they are smart and capable and worthy, and that child will carry that belief with them for the rest of their life.
• Right now, somewhere, a person is choosing to get up even though depression is pressing down on them like a boulder.
• Right now, somewhere, a neighbor is knocking on a door with a hot dish because they know that food is love, and love heals.

There is light. Even here. Even now.

Michelle Obama told us, "History has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own." And we have to believe her. Because believing is the first step to moving forward.

So, what do we do now?We do what's possible. We take care of each other. We hold on. We march when we can, and we rest when we need to. We remind ourselves that this, too, will pass. And when it does, we will be able to say: We did not give up. We kept the light burning. And because of that, the world is still here.

Hold on. We're in this together.