Don’t Give Up: Michael’s Sunday Sermon

Creator: Jon Cherry | Credit: REUTERS

The next 4 years are going to look different for each of us, but I guarantee that the actions of the Trump Administration will profoundly impact your life, and undoubtedly the lives of your kids (and not in a good way).

We are under attack. My trans friends are under attack just for having the audacity to live their lives authentically and with joy. My friends who immigrated here or whose parents immigrated here are under attack for having the gall to pursue their dreams on soil within our imagined borders. My Black friends are under attack for wanting to live with equal opportunities and for wanting to survive in a nation that has historically kicked them down again & again.

You, your friends, and your family are under attack too.

But we are not alone. You are not alone. No matter how hard the fight feels.

And right now it feels really hard even though it has hardly begun. While I’m no wellness expert, I know a thing or two about taking care of myself while being deeply and emotionally invested in politics – something far more of us will be forced to experience in the next four years – and I decided to write about some of what I’ve learned. If it can help 1 person reading this, that’s worth it.

1. Find your people. Do not isolate yourself. Reach out to old friends, make new friends. Talk about things that matter, and also talk about things that don’t. Pour your heart out to people whose cup can hold you (Shoutout to

   Annie Andrews
   ,
   Emily Mayer
   ,
   Renee Harvey
   , and so many incredible friends who have come into my life in recent years).

2. Take care of yourself. And I mean actual care, not like TikTok self-care. Get fresh air. Get your heart rate up from moving, not from stressing. Make an appointment with your doctor. Go to therapy. Make a green smoothie, one that is actually yummy. In a world where so many people want us gone, like gone-gone, making sure we max out our time on this earth is a powerful way to fight back.

3. Hold tight to serenity. Whether or not you are religious, The Serenity Prayer is something I think about often when I am at my most anxious, my most fearful, or my most angry. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. This wisdom was imparted on me by one of the best people I know, my incredible father Harry O’Brien.

4. Reject apathy (gently). At some point, someone is going to tell you that you care too much, or that your efforts don’t matter. Politely push back. In the immortal words of drag queen and gorgeous transgender icon Gigi Goode: “I understand your concern, but I do not have the same concern.” You don’t need to fight to validate yourself! If you feel the need to get defensive, I urge you to review steps one through three above.

5. Watch this video from Kid President circa 2013. And let yourself cry a little. It’s okay!

So yeah y'all, that is my little Sunday sermon of sorts. I hope it finds you as well as possible in these tough days, and I hope something I wrote here helps you get through the day with your chin held a touch higher.

Love you,

Michael