The more we love nature and humankind the more we feel the wounds around us. It is important for kind people to protect their hearts when they find themselves living in cruel times.It can be stunning to hear the cruelty and dishonesty that have become common place in our nation. It is important to treat our external conditions like a storm on the ocean and to keep our inner vessel dry of such hatred so that we do not ourselves sink into the storm.The branches of a tree cannot grow larger or stronger than the roots will support. Even as our “branches” strive sunward toward justice, so must our “roots” be nurtured in the dark rich soil of peace and compassion. It is not betrayal to the resistance to make time for rest and joy. One can face the perils of our day and still make time for community with other wonderful souls struggling to keep human sanity alive. It is not indifference to human suffering to make time to celebrate the wonder of being alive.