David Von Drehle, journalist and author, wrote a column recently in which he said, “ I think we face two kinds of problems in this world: forever problems and right now problems. Forever problems are those persistent challenges, vast and complex, that humans confront but never solve. Consider the distribution of wealth and growing inequality as among these. They transcend the personal to become the political.”
Right now problems, according to Von Drehle, tend to bring us together. They are the human-scale, ground-level vicissitudes of life and, though we cannot erase them, we can routinely pitch in to soften their edges and do so without a moment’s thought about political differences. The bellringers with the red buckets, the feeders of the hungry, the soothers of the sick. They are driven by unabashed goodwill. Von Drehle concludes by saying they are “the glue and the glory of our persistently imperfect human society, the better angels of our nature taking wing.”
Friday marks the winter solstice, traditionally a time of introspection, honoring the darkness. Annie Finch describes it in her poem, Winter Solstice Chant, “the edge of winter sky leaning over us in icy stars.” I like to think of winter solstice as a time to appreciate the darkness so that we can experience the light; a time to pause and start anew with light and with hope.
We are all–personally and professionally–steeped in challenges, in unanswered questions, and in tensions. We are burdened by forever problems and will be, for a long time to come. And yet, we have opportunities and promise. We have the ability to tackle the right now problems, one-by-one while keeping our mind’s eye on solutions to the complex and often divisive forever problems.
We are truly fortunate to have one another–the community that is LeadingAge–to experience the light, to address challenges together, and to experience the better angels of our nature taking wing.
Best wishes for a holiday filled with joy, hope, friends, and family.