Coping with four more years of you-know-who

Two-thirds of Americans have cut back their political news consumption since Donald Trump was reelected, according to an Associated Press–NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey. Seven in ten are Democrats, six in ten Republicans and independents. Some of us can’t stand the man, others can stand the chaos.

It can’t be good for the country if the majority of citizens spend the next four years uninformed. But neither is it good for our mental health if we’re in a state of constant agitation over the news from Washington.

Holiday greetings in the age of technology

I appreciate people, rarer every year, who still send holiday cards through snail mail. I enjoy seeing the cards and decorating the dining table with them. 

I hope the senders don’t mind that they hear from me by email. I can’t remember why — perhaps it was my frugality — but quite a few years ago I switched to emailing holiday notes. I ignored the etiquette mavens at the time who said that e-cards are tacky and assured myself that a personalized message shows effort, whichever way it is delivered. 

Birthday without firm plans unfolds beautifully

Birthdays, to my mind, are special. We’re recognized without doing anything impressive. No one close to me was also born on November 26, so the day belongs to me. Some years it falls on Thanksgiving, guaranteeing family members will celebrate with me.

Looking at the calendar a few days before this year’s birthday, I was concerned. None of the celebratory meals to which friends had invited me fell on the actual day. Could my birthday feel special if I spent it alone?

Maybe, if I made it a self-care day.