We made it to January 20th.
Like many, I am starting to feel a bit of a lift. Hope. A shift. Even… a bit of joy?
This morning, I changed my necklace. See, I can’t wear rings. I don’t wear “statement jewelry”. I don’t have a tattoo (long story, but I really can’t get one for health reasons…). I don’t wear statement shirts. I drink out of a plain white mug. You get the picture, I imagine.
But the one item of jewelry/clothing that I do tend to make a bit of a personal statement with is my necklace. I have many gathered over the years. A few gifts, but more of them are gifts-to-self, purchased for a specific reason and with a specific meaning in mind.
The necklace I put on today is a lovely reproduction of the Norwegian rune Wunjo. Why?
Source: https://runesecrets.com/rune-meanings/wunjo
That’s why. Joy. Hope. Harmony. Fellowship. Kindred. (I don’t know about Perfection… we’re a long, long, long way from that…)
I haven’t worn this necklace in a long time. A very long time. I don’t know if I have worn it at all the last four years, but if I have, it’s been for a short period of time. More often, I have worn my Tree of Life necklace, or one that I purchased for myself last year when I was going through a really difficult time. That one symbolizes independence and strength to me.
But this necklace? This represents hope to me. And today, I feel the flutters of hope as I count down to noon Eastern time. We’re nowhere close to healing this country, to righting the centuries-long history of injustice, racism, misogyny, and so many other hideous not-quite-so-hidden aspects of who we are.
But I like to think that we are one small step closer… that is what I believe, today.
I watched Biden’s inauguration on RTÉ and I cried with joy… honestly. It was such a relief. After the happenings of the 6th of January I expected anything, really ANYTHING to happen. So to see that inauguration happen, an adult take over the US, even an adult that seems to be decent, was absolutely fantastic.
I completely understand. I am not a crier, and… I cried, too. I felt like I finally exhaled after four and a half long years of just waiting for the next horrible thing to happen. I am not as worried when I open my news app in the mornings. The relief is tangible, and I’m glad it was felt there as well. I know that our allies and friends in other countries have watched our country over the past 4+ years and wondered what was happening to the US… As did many of us here. I hope that we can move forward, but I do worry that the pathology of these years will persist far into the future.
Joy. That’s exactly what I felt watching the inauguration last week. I also felt a sense of relief – like better days are coming. I really hope so because it’s been a stressful 4 years.
So much relief… I am beyond grateful not to feel that sense of doom when I wake up and check the news. And yet… so far to go. Sigh. I like to think we’ve taken the first step on that path, though!
You drink out of plain, white mugs? The horror! LOL
Yes, joy is definitely what I felt on Inauguration Day. And I am so glad nothing bad happened. Now if we could convict the evil man that preceded our new president.
Even worse – I have fun / pretty mugs in the cabinet that I literally never take down. Same white mug. Every day. I dropped it and broke it last year (the horror!) and replaced it as soon as I could ($5, I think, at Target?). Sad, I know. 😉