125 Comments

Carrie, the night after the 2016 election, a small group of us gathered at our UU congregation. My 15-year-old daughter joined me. Among the songs played was "Sanctuary" and even now, hearing it on my playlist, it brings me back to that moment of community and comfort. It's such a powerful song in so many ways, and I'm so grateful for it and you.

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Carrie. your post election emails were so poignant and helpful. I copied the browser address and sent them to over a dozen friends. No one was able to access them. I am so disappointed. Do they have to be subscribers also?

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Hi Barb, First, Thank you so much for inviting others into this community and conversation. I'm constantly touched by the depth of care and compassion and wisdom that people bring to this community. I believe folks may have to become a "free subscriber" to see posts on Substack. Each individual author decides how much free content they post. I've chosen to regularly post for everyone. They just need to become a free subscriber which is just putting in thier email address. Now, I do have a supporting subscriber section with some special gratitude offerings for folks that have paid subscriptions to help support my work. But I offer lots and lots of free posts for anyone who has a regular subscription. Here is the link for my page. They would go there, and then just subscribe with their email. I hope that helps. thanks again for sharing. I'm touched my friend. https://carrienewcomer.substack.com

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Something deep inside me cracked wide open with this battle lost. Grief and disgust simply poured out, terrifying in intensity. Empty now, there's room for hope and action and goodness to take hold.

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This week seems to have been an unveiling of realities to those of us who apparently were in the dark—but now the blindfolds are off and we see the ruined landscape clearly. To mix metaphors, now it seems the shoe is on the other foot and we all too clearly see blindfolds on the others’ eyes. Living in hope that this new clarity will now help us make our way through this dangerous new world. And know we are not alone.

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You definitely make this world a better place! (While we can't erase the bad stuff, knowing that there are caring hearts nearby, definitely makes it easier to try to weather the current storm).

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Thanks for the comforting words, thoughtful suggestions, and LOVE!

It is comforting to be a member of your species.

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I cried off and on all day. I am angry and I will resist the patriarchy. I take comfort in music (I have a Carrie Newcomer station on Pandora that plays her music and similar music), my dog, my family, and my journal. This community also soothes my spirit. Thank you!

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I was stuck in Boston traffic today when I noticed. The truck in front of me had Indiana plates and I realized how much I just wanted to sit in your wide circle of friends and cover my heart while I rocked back and forth. Thank you.

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Simply beautiful, thank you.

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I have sent this newsletter to so many of my friends and neighbors. Our daily dog walking has brought these people out and they hesitantly express how upset they are and we talk. It's very comforting to share and realize that we are not alone.

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After responding in an expansive & powerfully emotional yet gentled manner, reaching pretty much all I needed to say, all was deleted without a way to retrieve it! It seems appropriate, I suppose, to find all that I could say suddenly turned to nothingness as simply as taking a breath…realizing the unthinkable…recognizing once again that God does not interfere with people’s free will—free only to the extent that the patriarchal input of the Church spoke louder than common sense or the message of the Heart. So, now, what shall we do? We will continue to Believe that LOVE WINS, no matter how great the power of evil may appear. TRUTH, after all, Must Have the FINAL SAY! We Will Stand WITH and IN That TRUTH! In That TRUTH, after all, LOVE ALWAYS WINS! Through Healing Posts & Songs such as this with Carrie Newcomer, WE WILL HEAL AS WE FIND OUR WAY!

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Yea, verily!

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I am so grateful for this community that you have brought together, Carrie. I have just now read the comments from yesterday and felt the emotions and pain of us all. Somehow, it is comforting to know there are those all around this country and even the world that understand. People I have never met and probably never will. That is true community. That is powerful. It gives me strength and courage to keep my light burning. I am grateful.

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Thank you for this, Carrie. Just what I needed to wake up in the heaviness of yesterday.

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A sharing of my attempt to wrap my arms around it and us..

I Join You

As if wounded

By a Hunter-

Hunted-

We crawl to the

Water.

Thirsting

Bleeding

Near death.

Weeping

Moaning

Holding to a thread

Of breath and bone

Others nearby.

I can hear them.

The hunter was swift.

And massive.

A near

Kill shot.

And yet I breathe.

And those next to me.

Even as deft

A hunter as he

Could not extinguish

The light in me.

And so

We drink deep.

Near gulps of

These waters.

We have clawed our bodies -

Towards.

We join.

We live.

We weep

To see

Another Day

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