Anna Jarvis around 1909. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

“You have the most important job there is in America or any place else... I just want to wish you all a very happy Mother’s Day.” — President Donald J. Trump, Mother’s Day 2026

The Origin of the Day

It’s always nice when the President of the United States emphasizes the importance of mothers; without them, none of us would exist. Yet, if only mothers could be compensated for this “most important job.” While brunch and flowers are lovely, they often obscure the true origin of Mother’s Day. It was meant to be more than a Hallmark moment.

The Mother’s Day origin story has gained prominence this year. When founded by Julia Ward Howe, greeting cards were not on the agenda. She agreed with the sentiment that mothers shape the world, famously stating:

“I earnestly ask that a general congress of women, without limit of nationality, may be appointed… to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.”

Later, Anna Jarvis established the national holiday to honor her own mother, who birthed more than twelve children. She chose the second Sunday in May—the anniversary of her mother’s death. Eventually, President Wilson issued the first national proclamation in 1914, just before the world descended into the Great War.

Tradition and Memory

Mother’s Day can be bittersweet for women whose children have died and for daughters who have buried their mothers. Anna Jarvis chose white carnations to celebrate her mother’s memory. My own mother made corsages, choosing a specific color for each: her corsage was white because her mother had passed, while my sister and I wore pink or red. In church yesterday, all the women received yellow carnations—symbolic of friendship and new beginnings.

Beyond the Binary

During coffee hour, the conversation turned to single mothers who act as both mother and father daily. Kudos go to the noncustodial parents who play an active role, yet we must acknowledge the fathers who are absent even when physically present—and, in all fairness, the mothers who are less available.

The good news is that the existence of the Divine Feminine suggests that complementary energies exist within every being. As Emily McGowan notes, we must move beyond a morality judged solely on the “sins” of one lady who once gave a guy an apple. Single parents are innately endowed with the balanced energies needed to raise children. I recommend reading Emily McGowan’s complete article.

The Goal is Enlightenment

Between Sunday’s sermon and a presentation on coping skills for our current political climate, a theme emerged: we spend so much energy trying to convince “the other side” they are wrong that we lose sight of what we actually stand for. But when is the other side “dead wrong?”

As Proverbs 28:13 says: “A person who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if that person confesses and forsakes those mistakes, another chance is given.”

“There is nothing wrong with making mistakes, but one should always make new ones. Repeating mistakes is a hallmark of dim consciousness.” — Dave Sim

I admit when I make a mistake. When confronting a nemesis, I find it more powerful to say: “I must have made a mistake.” Being right is not my goal. Enlightenment is.

Language and the Goddess Within

Language evolved to specify gender, but it is generally agreed that the word “God” derives from a Proto-Indo-European neuter passive perfect participle. I once attended a retreat co-led by Joan Borysenko on the importance of the goddess within us. She began with the original Aramaic of the Lord’s Prayer:

Abwoon d’bwashmaya (O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos)

The word Abba (father) replaced Abwoon when scholars reasoned Jesus was praying to a paternal figure, but the original version was non-binary. Gender identification is not a “new thing.” That retreat was mystical; in guided meditation, I saw the trail of mothers stretching back through my grandmothers to Mitochondrial Eve. It was a deeply grounding experience.

Before Eve: Power and Balance

Nemesis, in Greek mythology, was the goddess of divine retribution. She was feared as the deity who delivered justice against hubris—the sin of excessive pride.

When we recognize the Divine Feminine within every person and move beyond gender wars, we become less divisive. Our world today requires the goddess within all of us to rise up and assert our right to be both feared and respected. To claim that power, we must find balance:

• Balance Fear and Respect: The most effective power uses both.

• Demonstrate Competence: Respect requires proof of capability.

• Set Clear Boundaries: Consequences keep systems in line.

• Be Fair, Not Cruel: Unjust punishment only breeds hatred.

• Prioritize Truth: Respect collapses without honesty.

• Adapt to Context: In crises, lean on strength; in stability, lean on respect.

I would love to read your thoughts about this in the comments below.

Daylight and the sound of the ocean woke me up this morning. I traveled to the edge of the world to spend a few days in Ocean City before the “June Bugs” descend and take over the boardwalk.

My parents let me take the 1963 Ford Galaxie convertible to spend a week in an apartment here after high school graduation. My friends and I had worked weekends at Montgomery Ward’s headquarters; we were required to join the Teamsters Union and were promptly fired as soon as our dues were fulfilled. We didn’t care. We were about to become June Bugs ourselves—this was our last fling before full-time summer jobs and the Great Scatter toward different colleges. We had no idea how much the world would change between 1968 and now.

From Tethers to Drones

In those years, our friends and brothers enlisted or were drafted to fight in Vietnam. Since then, we have sent more soldiers to fight endless wars, though today, drones and robots often replace human “cannon fodder.” Technology runs the world now. Thanks to the Internet, the world is smaller, and our phones are no longer tethered to a wall outlet. Sadly, social media has often replaced conversation.

Television news has evolved from a brief 10-minute evening broadcast into a 24-hour buffet of local, regional, and national coverage. YouTube has made me a morning news junkie, but lately, the focus is so narrow and repetitive that I’ve begun to experience “gaslighting exhaustion.”

The “Miriam” Webster Definition

My friend Miriam Webster defines gaslighting as:

Psychological manipulation... that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories.

Psychology Today suggests resisting this by recalling one’s own successes. Fortunately, my trip to the ocean included a book signing at The Greyhound in Berlin, Maryland. I am a published author in the last quarter of my life, and I spent a wonderful day signing Ona’s Tears and talking about historical fiction. Last Friday, a Counselor for the Lithuanian Embassy in DC bought a copy of my book and thanked me for writing it. Very few people have written novels about Lithuanian history; it was a moment of profound “light.”

See the Light

According to Miriam, there are 16 definitions for the word “light.” While I experienced “dawn” (No. 2) this morning, these three are particularly relevant for those of us feeling gaslighted:

• 6. Spiritual illumination; truth.

• 7. Public knowledge.

• 8. Something that enlightens or informs.

Watching the sunrise reminds us that no matter what humans do, the sun will continue to rise for at least another five billion years.

The Endurance of the “Lost Generation”

Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises reflects the disillusionment of the “Lost Generation” after WWI—a world where traditional meaning failed to provide fulfillment. Yet, his later work, The Old Man and the Sea, offers a different perspective. It is a story of endurance that left an indelible impression on me during college.

Finding the Balance

To endure the modern world, I’ve had to find my own balance:

• Digital Detox: I’ve exchanged the stress of the news for jigsaw puzzles on Jigidi while watching Netflix before bed.

• Self-Care: Acupuncture, chiropractic and massage help me manage my fibromyalgia.

• Connection: Weekly dates at the Silent Book Club and Lithuanian Hall keep me social.

• Family: Yearly trips keep me tethered to my long-distance friends and kin.

What keeps you balanced when the world feels like a quagmire? Let me know in the comments.

While US news holds our myopic attention like obedient goldfish, there is other news we should be thinking about.

1.Putin’s Stuck in a Nightmare Scenario

Putin can’t back out of the war he started because his “personal survival” is at stake. Like The Little Engine That Could, Ukraine is proving how the “smarter, not harder” principle works. Through rapid innovation in drone technology, Ukraine has brought Russian soldiers to their knees, literally. Once a Russian Soldier hears the whir of a drone they know the only option is to surrender. When Putin started the war he threw cannon fodder at the Ukrainians. The cost of employing one soldier can not compare to the cost of a drone. Russia is running out of human resources. I have nothing against the Russian people nor any people ruled by despots.

“A despot is a ruler or leader holding absolute power, typically exercising it in a cruel, oppressive, or tyrannical manner... Synonyms include tyrant, autocrat, dictator, oppressor, and potentate.” — Merriam-Webster

The Russian people seem unable to recover from the collapse of the USSR, lost in a dream of living a free life. Meanwhile, the Baltic countries—who led the resistance that toppled the Soviet Union—have reestablished their independence, joining NATO and the EU. In June 2024, Vilnius, Lithuania was named one of the happiest cities in the world for people under 30. I was there in August, 2025 and could see why.

2. Victor Orban’s Nightmare

While I am not well-versed in all of Hungarian history, I am watching how the country is beginning to shift away from its despot toward Péter Magyar and the Tisza Party.

The Respect and Freedom Party (TISZA) is a centre to centre-right, pro-European, and populist movement. In recent elections, turnout reached nearly 80%—the highest in post-communist Hungarian history. Young people turned out in droves.

• The Shift: “This is the end of an era,” some say of the shifting power.

• The Reaction: “We must bear this defeat with dignity.”

3. The Pig in the Python is on the way out

The top of the Baby Boomers’ generation turns 80 this year. We are busy contemplating death with dignity, bucket lists to complete, keeping our brains from rotting. My calendar is a minefield of doctor’s visits and self-care appointments; I even triple-booked myself recently.

We are blamed for ruining this country born of the greatest generation. Gripe, gripe gripe….. I don’t have time for that.

Americans under 30 are often cited as the most “miserable” age group due to social media and economic anxiety. After reading the New York Times article I shared last week I have hope. I believe in the 90/10 theory: 10% of the “rotten kids” get 90% of our attention, which means 90% of them are doing just fine. We are making way for them to turn this world around.

4. 10 Things We Can All Do to Protect “d”emocracy

The Primaries are on! Arkansas was first and the results are in. What exactly is at stake? That is a rhetorical question and one I am not going to ask out loud because it will only cause noise. Instead you can read what Democracy Docket proposes.

Note: If you are a fan of our current president, I suggest you skip the link. I am sticking to my self-imposed rule of not offending my readers.

5. Walking Away with Dignity

My core values aren’t negotiable; they are the moral compass I live by. In 1980, a class required us to write our life goal in one sentence. Mine has guided every decision I’ve made, personally and professionally:

My goal is to help people get where they want to go. I am a flawed human being and I have failed at times, but I always take responsibility. Last week, I felt rewarded by my readers. Then, on Saturday, my mood plummeted due to a single email. It was a gut punch. I went through the stages of grief, called my best friend, and hugged my foster dog.

I crawled out of that rabbit hole realizing I was experiencing the “shoot the messenger” effect. It is a tested psychological phenomenon. Look it up—but don’t blame me if you can’t get out of the hole!

Up for a discussion?

Let me know if your hope has been renewed this week. Have you experienced the “shoot the messenger” effect? My response to the one who pulled the trigger is: if you don’t like the answer, don’t ask the question.

Raising Discerning Adults

I learned about decisions and consequences in graduate school. Human Resources courses in the MBA program provided a plethora of evolving theories on how to manage employees. I won’t drag you through the list from the 1970s to the start of the 21st century; they all boil down to the fact that decisions result in consequences. Employing a “loose/tight” relationship with subordinates allows people to learn by doing while keeping guardrails in place to minimize disasters. It’s also an excellent way to raise responsible children.

Since both my children were born in April, I have been thinking about how they and other adult children have turned out. It makes me wish for more adults my age to have learned that poor decisions can result in disastrous outcomes with global consequences. (Names need not be mentioned.) We are the ones who must now make our decisions based on the consequences caused by others.

Help from AI

My Substack Village has provided thoughtful responses to the nightmare we can’t seem to wake up from. Rather than repeat or echo their work, I turned to AI and asked, “How do we deal with consequences of world leaders’ actions?” Gemini provided an apolitical response that helps us navigate the fallout without getting lost in the noise:

• Shape the Narrative: Use public communication to steer discussions toward constructive outcomes early.

• Manage Political Stress: Constant consumption of political content fuels anxiety. Set boundaries, prioritize self-care, and find productive outlets for activism rather than passive consumption.

• Foster Dialogue: Engage in nonpartisan community dialogue to combat the intense polarization that often follows bad leadership decisions.

Psychological and Social Management from the Pulpit

In addition to my MBA, I earned a Certificate in Advanced Counseling Services from the University of NH. Back in the day, it was the first two years of a PhD in Psychology. Before moving back to Baltimore, I had a private practice in Psychotherapy.

I have the good fortune of attending a church where our Pastor is a PhD and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. His talk today reminded me of my final paper for Psychological Stress and Adaptation.

Back in my undergraduate Biology Major days, I learned cell theory, and I’ve often used it as a model for the human spirit. The cell has a semi-permeable membrane:

1. It closes in toxic environments for protection.

2. It must open in safe environments to let toxins out and nutrients in.

If the cell remains closed indefinitely, it will poison itself and die.

The sermon today offered three points: Spread joy, have a purpose, and stay open. The purpose I share with my Substack Villagers is to create a space for reflection. We participate in each other’s comments, staying open to views and spreading joy.

Three April Rabbit Holes

Curated links for your entertainment.

Going Down the Rabbit Hole

• Renewal Amidst Turmoil — Jeanette Lewis reflects on finding peace when the world feels like a scary place.

• The Constant of Growth — A reminder that Spring is nature’s way of proving that fresh starts are always possible.

• What Gives Teenagers Hope in 2026 — You must click on this one. While many see a “country of cynics,” the overwhelming majority of our youth refuse to despair. From “The Great Meme Reset” to a renewed focus on community care, these kids have some great parenting behind them!

I would love to read your comments and insights.

A Mother’s Worry

TSA lines and volatile weather launched the “airport nightmares” of Spring Break 2026. Since both of my children had travel plans, I was especially tuned in to the news. Ultimately, my daughter canceled her trip, and my son flew back from Japan on April 2nd, where the domestic TSA and Spring Break chaos weren’t an issue.

How is Spring Break Determined?

In the United States, Spring Break for universities and K–12 systems depends on term dates and where the Easter holiday falls on the calendar.

During my thirty years in academia, the “separation of church and state” was always a touchy subject during the week the college closed after the Fall semester. Our time off was technically a collection of saved holidays: New Year’s Day, President’s Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, and Christmas Day.

Today, Christmas and Easter have shifted from primarily religious observances to broader cultural and commercial festivals. This evolution involves the absorption of pagan traditions and a move toward secular celebration.

A Rabbit as an Easter Agent

The association of bunnies with spring comes from their reproductive abundance, making them a symbol of fertility long before “Easter” existed. Rabbits have deep roots in pagan spring festivals and were often given as offerings around the spring equinox.

The first connections between the religious holiday and the bunny can be traced to 8th-century Britain, when early Christians merged customs with the celebrations of the goddess Eostre (from whom Easter receives its name). Thanks to the candy industry, some traditions have adopted the name “Resurrection Sunday.” It makes one wonder: is Christmas up for a name change next?

Easter Eggs

Ancient Romans used vegetable dyes to color eggs, giving them away to symbolize new beginnings. Early Christians viewed eggs as symbols of fertility and abundance; they would refrain from eating them during Lent, preserving and dyeing them instead to be eaten first on Easter Sunday as a symbol of resurrection.

Family Tradition

When my grandparents moved to Baltimore, they lived in a Lithuanian community that practiced “picking an egg.” It is a perfect example of combining pagan and Christian traditions.

Before Easter dinner, we would each select a dyed egg (usually from a PAAS kit). We picked the one we thought was strongest, often testing them by tapping them against our front teeth. My dad loved telling stories of the neighborhood kids playing this game. You would hold the egg protected in your fist, and everyone would take turns cracking them—point to point, then “butt to butt.”

The one whose egg didn’t crack won the opponent’s egg. The boys made it interesting: a loser might swap their cracked egg for a dyed raw egg and slip it into the winner’s back pocket to be slapped later. But heaven help the boy who cheated by sucking the raw egg out, filling the shell with sugar, and letting it sit by the furnace until it turned into a rock-hard weapon.

Easter Baskets

The first Easter baskets were filled with foods forbidden during Lent, brought to church on Holy Saturday to be blessed. Because candy was off-limits during the fast, baskets eventually became laden with sweets.

If you’ve ever had a Mary Sue Easter Egg, you’ve tasted a Baltimore staple. Founded by the Spector and Ashton families in 1948, Mr. Ashton named the company after his daughters, Mary and Sue. Both eventually became nuns. It must have been hell not being able to eat that chocolate!

Dropping “Easter Eggs”

Now that my first book is published, readers of Ona’s Tears might remember the “easter eggs” I dropped throughout the story. I’m currently working on the sequel and applying those same subtle nods—a trick I learned from authors who specialize in world-building.

Running Against the Wind: A Reflection

Holidays are their own kind of rabbit hole; they remind us of those no longer with us. The petals from spring trees—the cherry blossom, flowering pears and magnolias—are short-lived. Driving through a tree-lined street during a “petal storm” is unforgettable.

After my mother passed, I had the good fortune to “adopt” two mothers also born in 1918. One lived to 80, the other to 102. Both were vision-impaired, yet they were in absolute awe of the petal storms we drove through.

On my drive home from Easter service, a female cardinal nearly flew into my car. She caught the wind just in time, veering away from my left headlight. Many believe cardinals are symbols of the deceased visiting us. At that exact moment, Running Against the Wind was playing on the radio.

The song is a mid-tempo ballad about aging and pushing through life’s challenges. Bob Seger once said:

“I always say it’s human nature that people are gonna love you sometimes and they’re gonna use you sometimes. Knowing the difference... that’s what ‘Against the Wind’ is all about.”

“I’ve got so much more to think about
Deadlines and commitments
What to leave in, what to leave out”

What do those lyrics mean to you as you run against the wind?

That mother cardinal got my attention. Perhaps she got yours, too.

AI generated image

The Long Journey Across the Street

Palm Sunday 2026 fell on March 29. It is the Sunday I dread most because, if you are a Catholic who slid into the Episcopal Church, you know the routine. Three hours is a marathon: two-plus hours for the service and another 30 minutes for the essential socializing.

I found my church home shortly after retiring in 2012. It sits across the street from the Catholic church and school where I was indoctrinated and married. I left that church to move to NH and eventually return to my childhood home. It took me forty years to make the journey across Edmondson Avenue, “shopping” various denominations along the way. When I finally arrived, I witnessed something transformative: a service where every person on the altar was a woman that Sunday.

Episcopal Church: Making Women’s History

The year 2024 marked the 50th anniversary of the first ordination of women as priests in the Episcopal Church (July 29, 1974). The hurdles didn’t vanish with ordination; women priests faced immense pushback while striving for equal footing.

The leadership continued to evolve:

• 2011: Mariann Budde became a Bishop in DC and Maryland. She noted, “There’s nothing that says a Christian can’t be involved in politics…. Scripture teaches us to be committed to the issues that affect the common good.”

• 2025: After Trump’s 2025 inauguration she asked him to “have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” she said, “invoking gay, lesbian, and transgender children, as well as undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers.”

• March 25, 2026: Dame Sarah Mullally was installed as the 36th Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman to hold the role.

“Once a Catholic, always a Catholic, but Episcopalians rock regardless of gender.”

Finding a Place to Belong

During the Palm Sunday 2026 service, the Right Rev. Carrie Schofield-Broadbent delivered the sermon. She did not tell us who to vote for, but she did say that politics is part of any congregation like ours where all are welcome regardless of all the labels that can divide us. It is a safe place where we respect differences and handle tough discussions. She said we had what many people long for today: a place to listen to great music (Our organist and choir master earned his Ph.D. at the Peabody Institute), and active involvement with each other and our neighbors.

Later Sunday afternoon I half listened to an NPR program where the speaker spoke about the need to belong to groups. He mentioned how a person could watch a sports game on TV all alone and feel the exhilaration when their team scored.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about this need to belong. I heard actor Edward Norton mention that we are “one of a crowd” needing a way to deal with the anxiety of a world designed to drive us insane. Between a broken legal system and the “madness in the night,” we need something bigger than ourselves.

For me, that “something” is a trio of communities:

1. My Church

2. A Silent Book Club

3. The Lithuanian Hall Association

In Baltimore, these spaces are populated by diverse individuals. We may not always agree, but we enjoy respectful conversation.

Writing Away the Madness

I write to keep the madness at bay. This past Thursday, I joined a group of local authors at a book fair. About 170 readers showed up. Many people came up to ask me what my book was about. Bookstores remain one of the best places to find your tribe.

One woman asked if my father played table tennis; apparently, her father knew a “Sabalauskas” who did. I never expected that. I knew my bachelor dad had a tennis racket, but ping-pong? It makes sense. It’s another small thread of connection in a world that often feels disconnected.

Join the Conversation: How was your March? Did you travel, take a class, go on a cruise, travel abroad, see a game, drink green beer or find a new group? What resonated with you this month?

The 2026 Women’s History Month theme is “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future,” announced by the National Women’s History Alliance. It honors women who are rebuilding systems for long-term environmental, economic, and social sustainability, promoting equity, justice, and opportunity.

This post is in honor of the women lawyers I know who promote equity and justice today. I doubt many smoke Virginia Slims, but these women have come a long way thanks to the pioneers who cleared the path.

The Numbers: A Shifting Tide

Based on early 2025/2026 data, the legal landscape has been fundamentally reshaped:

• Law School Enrollment: Women made up 55.1% of the first-year class in 2025.

• Professional Representation: Total women in the legal profession rose to 41.31% by 2025.

• The Era: The 2016–2026 period is now widely described as the “Decade of the Female Lawyer.”

The Pioneers

In 1970, the legal field was only 8.6% female. Breaking through required extraordinary resilience:

• Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Began landmark gender-bias litigation with the ACLU in 1970.

• Doris Brin Walker: The first female president of the National Lawyers Guild.

• Marguerite Rawalt: A tireless advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment.

• Hillary Clinton: One of only 27 women in her 1973 Yale Law graduating class.

• Kamala Harris: Earned her degree from UC Hastings in 1989, rising through the ranks to the Vice Presidency.

Historical Context: From 1950 to 1970, women consistently made up 3% or less of the profession.

The Personal Cost of Progress

Many lesser-known women paid a heavy price for breaking into this “man’s profession.” I knew a woman who graduated from Georgetown in 1969 with a JD in International Law, later earning an LLM in Taxation. She was an Assistant State’s Attorney for Maryland and a DC lobbyist—a true trailblazer.

However, she was also a victim of the harassment inherent in a male-dominated field. The toll was high; her career took a downward turn, leading her to serve as a hearing officer for the Maryland District Traffic Court. In 1985, due to Veterans’ Preference rules, her role was reassigned to a less-qualified male candidate. She never practiced law again. Her story serves as a reminder that “paving the way” often left the pioneers themselves with the deepest scars.

Prominent DC Lawyers Today

Today, women hold the most influential—and scrutinized—legal roles in the country:

• Pam Bondi: Former Florida AG; chosen to lead the U.S. Department of Justice as Attorney General.

• Alina Habba: Senior advisor and legal counsel; formerly served as acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey.

• Harmeet Dhillon: Appointed Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division in 2025.

• Sally Yates: Former Deputy AG; now a Distinguished Lecturer at Georgetown Law focused on voting rights.

• Lindsey Halligan: Former insurance attorney; appointed to a prominent role at the White House.

• Christina Bobb: Focused on election-related litigation and government document investigations.

• Jenna Ellis: Conservative lawyer and former senior legal adviser to the 2020 re-election campaign.

Admission to the Bar

In order to practice Law, Men and Women lawyers in the United States take a solemn oath to support the U.S. Constitution upon admission to the bar. While specific language varies by state, almost all jurisdictions require this pledge, often alongside a promise to uphold their state constitution and faithfully discharge their duties to clients and the courts.

When you see a woman lawyer this month, thank her for “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.”

AI Generated Image

In 1983, at the “ripe old age” of thirty-three, a high school student asked me for a historical perspective on the women’s movement for her class paper. It was one of those moments where you wonder if you should accept the “compliment” of being a historical resource. We’ve all been there.

At the time, I was working for the newly established Non-traditional Student Center at the University of New Hampshire. I was a “non-traditional” woman in every sense: one of the very few women to ever complete the UNH Evening MBA program.

Following Directions as a Radical Act

Our capstone course required teams to write an original case study on an existing business—this was 1976, long before the Internet made research a click away. When our papers were returned, the professor announced that those who received an “A” could leave.

Judy and I (two women, same name) stood up. The room full of men stared. Our “secret” to success? We simply followed the directions. The men were given the option to rewrite their papers for a grade change; we just walked out.

“Pretty Good for a Girl”

In 1974, I became the first female Sales Representative for Kraft Foods in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and North East Massachusetts. Another female Sales Rep covered Boston. My territory required driving a company car 1,000 miles a week with nothing but a paper road map.

While Kraft eventually picked up 80% of my MBA tuition, my entry into the program was thanks to a loophole. My previous employer, Davidson Rubber Co., had a benefit for “clerks” to take courses. They never expected a clerk to be admitted to an MBA program. Because the rules weren’t explicit, I opened the door for women there to be reimbursed for college and graduate-level work. I made history by accident of ambition.

Making history comes with a cost. In the 1970’s, filing an EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) complaint was professional suicide. It was hard to prove discrimination because, after all, “men were just being men.”

When Kraft hired me, my boss was on vacation. He was furious that a “girl” had been hired over his head and spent his time trying to force me out. He made two fatal mistakes: he was “in bed” with a warehouse he forbade me from selling to, and he forced me to drive an unsafe company car serviced by his “buddy” mechanic. I quit over the car, but our District Manager intervened. My boss “retired” early, and my fellow Kraft Sales Reps supported me especially when our incompetent boss was gone.

The Personal Toll

The biggest cost of my career and my MBA was my marriage. My husband, a Vietnam Veteran with two Purple Hearts, was suffering from “Post-Vietnam Syndrome.” We divorced, though four years later he reached out to apologize and acknowledge the struggle he was going through. Yes, he encouraged me to take the sales job and get my MBA but he did not think I would succeed.

By the 1980’s, I had transitioned into academia, teaching courses like Men and Women in Management. For those looking to understand that era, I highly recommend:

• Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution by Adrienne Rich

• A Tale of “O”: On Being Different in an Organization by Rosabeth Moss Kanter

The Legal Hurdles: Credit, Property, and Names

The rule of law is holding up—for now. But in 1972, the hurdles were constant. When my husband and I looked to buy our first home, mortgage lenders commonly discounted a wife’s income by 50% to 100%. Mine was discounted by 60%.

After my divorce, the “system” fought back:

• Credit: I tried to remove my ex-husband’s name from a department store card I had opened with my own salary. I was told I couldn’t—he “held” the account because I was the wife. He got my credit score.

• Property: We were able to sell our first house at a profit and buy a better one. When we divorced, we agreed to split the down payment and I could keep the house. My lawyer created a quit-claim deed that gave my ex-husband half the house’s down payment upon sale or my death. I chose to refinance to pay him immediately. The mortgage officer tried to talk me out of it. As he filled in the application he was shocked by my salary, I said “pretty good for a girl.” He recovered and said, “Pretty good for any one in Rochester, NH.”

• Identity: It cost me $75 to legally return to my maiden name. Even then, the bureaucracy struggled. My first Kraft mail stamp said Judith Fabalauskas. I called David and told him my name started with an “S.” The second said Sudith Fabalauskas. He finally got it right but Social Security typed Hudith instead of Judith. (Keyboard slip)

Use Your Vote or Lose It

My parents taught me that voting is a personal choice, even if you “cancel out” your spouse’s vote. Today, women must be vigilant about name changes and registration. If the SAVE Act (H.R. 8281) passes, millions of married women who have changed their names may find their birth certificates insufficient to prove citizenship for voting.

My voter registration matches my birth certificate, passport, and Real ID. Ensure yours does too.

The stakes in the 2026 primaries are crucial. Each vote matters.

Democracy versus autocracy is more than just an abstract conflict between competing principles. When our nation shifts toward authoritarianism, it affects all of us. Quite literally, our lives, liberty, and pursuit of happiness are at stake.

Please fact check and follow more than one news source.

Let’s have a conversation and not an argument. Have some fun with this.

• How many of you remember this ad?

• Do you think women have come a long way since 1968 when it aired?

• When women are called “girls” in 2026, should men be called “boys”?

• Is “Woman” a dirty word or something?

Timeline of Legal History of Women in the United States

[!NOTE]

The following is an abbreviated list of laws affecting women in America. You can click the link for the complete list. Next week, I will cover women’s progress as lawyers and politicians.

• 1769: American colonies adopt English common law: “The very being and legal existence of the woman is suspended during marriage.”

• 1866: The 14th Amendment defines “citizens” and “voters” specifically as male for the first time.

• 1873: The Supreme Court rules a state can exclude married women from practicing law.

• 1920: The 19th Amendment is ratified: The right to vote shall not be denied on account of sex.

• 1938: Fair Labor Standards Act establishes a minimum wage regardless of sex.

• 1964: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination.

• 1974: Housing and credit discrimination against women are finally outlawed by Congress.

• 1981: Kirchberg v. Feenstra overturns laws designating a husband as “head and master” of joint property.

• 2022: The Supreme Court overrules Roe v. Wade, returning abortion regulation to the states.

We Mourn Together

It is futile to discuss the politics of our current wars. For over a week now, we have witnessed lives lost as a result of decisions made by those who have little regard for human life.

I mourn for the damage done to our fragile island home. Žemyna, Mother Earth, is angry with our lack of respect. As the evening news shifts from bombs to tornadoes and floods, we see the lives lost to climate change—a different kind of warfare.

The Cycle of Consumerism

In 1962, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring. As high school students, we were encouraged to be “ecologists.” This led to the environmental movement and the birth of fuel-saving cars.

• 1972: I bought my first car, a Datsun 1200.

• 1973: The Yom Kippur War set off a gas crisis.

• The Aftermath: We forgot. We demanded bigger, “safer” cars to survive accidents caused by even bigger cars.

Now that gas prices are soaring again, perhaps we will hear fewer 2026 Ford Mustang Darkhorses racing up and down our streets.

War: What Is It Good For?

Since February 28, 2026, a specific song from June 1970 has invaded my brain. Reflecting on my years at Hood College, I remember wearing my long hippie dress for my senior yearbook picture. I chose a quote from Peanuts:

“It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere.”

Today, what we believe does matter, even if we are sincere. Our beliefs have divided us.

The Scars of Reality

Shortly after graduation, I married a Marine Corps Veteran with two Purple Hearts from Vietnam. When my father saw him in swim trunks, he simply said, “Nice scars.” They were impossible to miss. Today, I think of the soldiers in Iran and the new Purple Hearts being earned.

In 2008, I returned to Hood College to visit my daughter. Entering her dorm bathroom (which was exactly the same when I lived in that dorm) was a literal time warp; someone had left a boombox playing Edwin Starr’s “War.”

Ever since John Fogerty played Green River on Colbert (November 17, 2025), I’ve been listening to his station. His Vietnam protest songs feel like a premonition for this “four-week war.” Estimates for Armageddon range from one second to 7.5 billion years. Mark your calendars.

Returning to the Old Ways

I want to reminisce about the days when we were all Pagan. Paganism predates organized, monotheistic religions by thousands of years. These were decentralized, oral traditions—a way to explain the unexplained before we had the scripts to lock them down.

Milestone - Approximate Timeline

• First Human Language 150,000 – 200,000 years ago

• Sumerian Cuneiform 3400 – 3200 BCE

• Earliest Bible Scrolls 7th Century BCE

• Lithuanian Language Distinct by 6th Century AD (Roots 3,000+ years old)

Lithuanian is one of the oldest living languages, preserving features of Proto-Indo-European (akin to ancient Sanskrit). It is a language that remembers the earth.

Final Rabbit Hole: The Steward

In essence, a Lithuanian pagan “steward of the earth” is a guardian. We are stewards, not owners. We honor the sanctity of the landscape and the spiritual tether between humans and nature.

This old hippie flower child has found a rope to tie a knot in. I am holding on until the end of my final quarter. Meanwhile, I will research, write, and post in hopes that I can teach others to find their own rope.

Once a teacher, always a teacher. I just can’t seem to stop.

Time to Reflect

Please join me in the comments.

• What gives you hope right now? In my part of the world, the bulbs are pushing through the soil. Mother Earth will survive with or without us.

• We often talk about the politics of war, but we rarely talk about the silence it leaves behind. I would love to hear how other ‘old hippies’ (and young ones!) are processing 2026.

• I’m holding onto my ‘rope’ by researching and writing. What is the one thing—a hobby, a ritual, a memory—that you are holding onto tightly this week?

Pictures were taken in Lithuania, August, 2025

I promised myself that I would keep things light while on vacation. Last week I wrote:

“I glance at the world weary news and relax knowing many competent global states people are working hard to prepare for the new world order.”

All that changed on Saturday.

A Response to the Unprecedented

I am a faithful subscriber to Viktor Kravchuk’s Substack and replied to his post regarding the events at the White House on February 28, 2025. I wrote:

“There is nothing good to say about Trump and his sycophants. They do not deserve our judgement or attention. We will all remember February 28, 2026, and the subsequent consequences. Our work is to hold on to our human integrity and support those who can lead us through these unprecedented times.”

The Fallout

There will be a lot of armchair quarterbacking as we await the fallout from Trump’s military strikes on Iran without prior Congressional authorization. As Trump said, American lives will be lost. We will all remember where we were when we heard the news; I am grateful I was in my cousin’s living room during my visceral reaction.

Looking Ahead

I will be back to work on Thursday to create a thought-provoking post for us to discuss next week. Until then, I will continue to fill my love bucket and hope you do the same, as we are at the mercy of myopic news channels.

From Phoenix, AZ

My Phoenix cousin and I recently fell into an interesting discussion about Bad Bunny’s 2026 Super Bowl LX halftime show. While news reports hailed it as a “transformative phenomenon,” others labeled it a “disgusting cultural affront.” Donald Trump weighed in, calling the performance “terrible” and specifically criticizing the use of Spanish on such a massive stage.

This sent me down one of my signature rabbit holes.

The “Official” Language Debate

Does the U.S. have an official language? The answer changed recently.

While English was the de facto language for government and daily life for centuries, our Founding Fathers intentionally avoided a legal requirement to ensure they didn’t alienate non-English speaking settlers. However, following an Executive Order on March 1, 2025, English was designated as the official language of the United States for federal agencies. Before this federal shift, 31 states had already declared English as their official language. Fascinating!

Resistance Through Language

Part Two of Ona’s Tears is written from my fictional great-grandmother’s point of view during a time when Lithuanians lived under Russian imperialism. Much like the modern debates over language, they were required to speak Russian as part of forced assimilation.

There is an old joke: What makes Lithuanians different from Russians, Poles, and Germans? Lithuanians can speak more than one language. Under the Tsar, Lithuanian books were banned, but “Knygnešiai” (book smugglers) kept the culture alive. You can see the story of the famous smuggler Vincas Juska here.

The Modern “Rabbit Hole”: Why are books banned today?

History repeats itself. According to the American Library Association (ALA)—which has advocated for equitable access to information for over 150 years—the most common justifications for modern censorship include:

• False claims of illegal obscenity for minors.

• Inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters or themes.

• Discussions of race, equity, and social justice.

Excerpt from Ona’s Tears, Part Two

“Tell me what you know?” I whisper. (Helena asks Antanas)

“The stories I hear are that the railroad across Siberia has hit a problem. Japan has troops that will stop Russia. Nicholas was not ready for this and will be looking to recruit more of us. They do not want to be outnumbered by the Japanese again.”

“But they need our men to work on the Fort.”

“We will not be recruited until the fort is complete. That is all we know.”

Antanas puts his arm around my shoulder and hurries me along. Light snow begins to fall. We catch up with our neighbors and make our way to the meeting house.

Two hours later, we silently walk back to our troba and startle the geese. They shake their bodies in warning, then settle down. They curl their long necks and tuck their fierce beaks under their wings. These guardians protect us while we sleep.

We stomp our boots on the covered stoop and brush the snow off our coats before going inside and hang our coats on the pegs by the door. The books are safely hidden; our girls know the price for having them found in a raid. The chair by the stove is empty. Bobute is sitting on her bed.

“So?” she asks me.

“The Tsar’s men questioned us. They tried to trick us into speaking our tongue, but we know Russian. The Okhrana (Tsar’s secret police) are after the book smugglers. They threatened us to report smugglers or we would join the ‘King of Lithuania’ in prison.”

“Jurgis Bielinis has been arrested five times and is too smart for them. The Okhrana know if they ever sentence him, we will rebel. They are not the first fools to think they can kill our spirit. It is nothing new, Helena.”

“I know, but something is different this time. I feel it in my bones.”

History is a Mirror

Book bans are nothing new. In 212 B.C., the Chinese emperor Shih Huang Ti burned all the books in his kingdom because he believed history should begin with him.

There are some among us today who want to rewrite history in their favor. Some of us will make sure this does not happen.

I would love to read your reaction to this post. Have you ever felt your language was under threat? Is U.S. history being rewritten?

A Note from the Author: While I am away recharging, Ona’s Tears is out in the world and ready for you to discover. If you haven’t yet joined this journey through history and heart, you can find your copy below.

[Order Ona’s Tears Here]

Everyone needs a break to refill their “love bucket.” I’m doing just that—visiting family in Colorado and Arizona. I glance at the world weary news and relax knowing many competent global states people are working hard to prepare for the “new world order.” Before I left, I heard one of these leaders say that imperialism is the inherent DNA of Russia.

Before I could write Ona’s Tears, I needed to research why my grandparents left Lithuania. I needed to know more about how a child born of immigrants navigates thier emotional development while straddling two vastly different worlds. Now that my book is published, my mission is to show booksellers and readers alike why this story—and my perspective on it—is so vital.

When my grandparents were born, Lithuanians lived under Russian imperialism. Russia exerted absolute political, economic, cultural, and military power or control. Books were banned, people “disappeared” and peasants were forced into the front lines. Russia does not count soldiers when waging war—a reality that feels hauntingly familiar today.

As I wove the story of my fictional grandparents, I did my best to weave this history into the linen of their thoughts, fears and dreams.

Here is an excerpt from Part One:

My old worn house dress is replaced by my soft nightgown that still smells of Fels Naptha. I pull the covers back and crawl into bed. My body relaxes but my brain does not; busy days make busy minds, I will think of a story to calm me. Ragana Gamta taught me that the way to remember stories is to tell them, and pass them from generation to generation, but I have no listening children, so I will tell the story to myself.

Gamta used to tell us about the Great Northern War that took place 100 years before she was born and the story was passed by each generation to us. We must never forget what the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was, and the alliances we were part of before we fell under Russian rule; they wanted to gain access to the Baltic. Gamta would make us repeat the words until we got them right. A plague also killed many people during the War. Gamta wanted us to be aware of plague symptoms so as not to catch and spread it. It did come very close to our village.

“Never forget. Do not let the Russians make you think they ruled first.” She would prompt us with questions and we would take turns answering.

“What was the Grand Duchy of Lithuania?”

“It was the largest state in Europe and included people from different cultures and religions.”

“Who was the first ruler of the Duchy?”

“Mindaugas was crowned as Catholic King of Lithuania in 1253.”

“What were we before the Catholics?”

“We were the same as we are now, only we had many gods, not just one.”

A Note from the Author: While I am away recharging, Ona’s Tears is out in the world and ready for you to discover. If you haven’t yet joined this journey through history and heart, you can find your copy below.

[Order Ona’s Tears Here]

According to AI, Lithuanian humor is often described as “straightforward, slightly dark, and dry,” relying on sarcasm, irony, and absurd metaphors to cope with life under a “lead-colored sky.”

Those of you who know me personally should not be surprised. Our best humor comes out during funerals. Insults become verbal hugs. My one cousin once said he was named after the doctor. His brother shot back: “Yeah, but he was a Vet.” (as in veterinarian).

The Antidote to the Absurd

Humor is a survival mechanism. Research shows that when we are stressed or anxious, we become calmer after enjoying a good joke. Sharing laughter with others is a bonding experience. I’ve experienced plenty of bonding experiences lately because the world is tired and laughter is the antidote. Humor can also draw people closer together.

I was particularly funny at the dentist’s last week as the brunt of my own jokes. It seems I’ve dodged a root canal for now. I may be okay for ten years, but I could be dead by then—so there’s the good news.

When I need a plot twist while working on my sequel to Ona’s Tears, I know it is time to pull out the gallows humor and kill somebody off. That always makes me feel better. But when I have had enough of surfing the news on YouTube each morning, I switch to the satirists.

Political satire has roots in ancient Greece with Aristophanes and Rome with Juvenal’s biting critiques. It aims to hold those in power accountable. Historically, it’s been a dangerous game: Nixon didn’t just dislike satire; he treated it like an enemy operation, reportedly hiring private investigators to dig up dirt on the Smothers Brothers.

From Punchlines to Policy

Which rock group has four men who don’t sing? Mount Rushmore.

It’s easy to laugh at the stone-faced silence of the past. But today, the silence coming from the West feels less like a monument and more like a void. We tell jokes to celebrate Presidents Day, yet the data suggests the punchline is currently on us. The reality isn’t a play on words; it’s a shift in the world order.

This is no joke: Last updated on February 11th, 2026—387 days into the current administration—the president’s net approval rating is -18. While 38% still approve, I am more interested in the global fallout. A recent survey suggests we are “Making China—not America—great again.” Most Europeans no longer see the U.S. as a reliable ally. EU diplomats are no longer whispering about pushing back; they are planning for a “post-Davos” world.

As one diplomat put it: “Now that the trust has gone, it’s not coming back. I feel the world has changed fundamentally.”

The 1905 Connection: History Rhyming

When I traveled abroad, I realized how myopic American news is—a severe case of “American tunnel vision.” While our media was focused on Pam Bondi calling Jamie Raskin a “washed-up loser lawyer,” my attention shifted to the 130-year-old ghosts in the room.

I discovered that Raskin’s ancestral family left Russia around 1905—the same year my grandparents did to escape the Russian Revolution. We are two branches of a similar tree, planted in American soil only to watch the forest we left behind catch fire again.

On Feb 11, 2026, Euro News reported:

• U.S. Aid: Largely withdrawn, with contributions reduced by up to 99%.

• European Response: Noticeably increased, with Germany becoming the largest single military donor in 2025.

• The Reality: Russia is a declining power sustaining massive losses—an estimated 1.3 million troops killed or wounded—yet Ukrainian civilians are freezing to death because of Putin’s war crimes. One news person gave an interview by flashlight.

For Whom the Bell Tolls (All Kidding Aside)

In 1905, my grandparents fled a revolution. In 2026, I watch a world where the White House fumbles peace mediation, risking an unenforceable agreement that fails to constrain Russia. The gap between these two tragedies is filled with jokes and dentist appointments. It feels irrational.

As Albert Camus famously noted:

“I said that the world is absurd, but I was too hasty. This world in itself is not reasonable, that is all that can be said. But what is absurd is the confrontation of this irrational and the wild longing for clarity whose call echoes in the human heart.”

My “wild longing for clarity” is why I dig through global surveys and ancestral history. The “irrational” is a world where trust has evaporated. Humor is how we survive the collision of the two. We joke about “Vet” doctors and root canals because if we didn’t laugh at the absurdity, the weight of the 1.3 million Russian casualties would crush us.

“Life is short,” says the old blessing attributed to Henri-Frédéric Amiel. “So, be swift to love and make haste to be kind.”

And if you can’t be kind, at least be funny. In a world that has lost its mind, a well-timed joke might be the only thing that still makes sense.

A question for you: Camus spoke of the “wild longing for clarity.” Where are you finding clarity—or at least a bit of sanity—in the headlines of 2026? I’d love to hear your perspective.

During another frozen week in Baltimore of breaking more ice, my daughter arrived after work Monday and cleared all the ice on my walkway to the frozen solid alley. She also dug a spot for her Sheep Dog to relieve herself while she spent the week with me recovering from hematoma surgery. She has been great company during another week of staying put, reflecting on the news and going down rabbit holes.

One rabbit hole led me to an article that said. “The more you Google and research, the more you realize how much you don’t know….While others might assume they know enough about a topic, you’re diving deeper, questioning assumptions, and staying curious.” Instead of commenting on last week’s news, I invite you to follow me in and out of what I found during my explorations.

Jasmine Crockett called Trump “the King of distraction and division.” His title resonates with the question I have been asking since 2016, why would anyone vote for him? In 2016 the answer was party over politics when I heard, “get over it, you lost.” Trump holds another title - only president to be impeached twice. That woke some people up, but many people swallowed the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen.

• This article is only one perspective on Trump supporters: Explaining the Trump loyalty cult phenomenon

“A more likely explanation is that self-professed ‘forgotten men and women‘ are willing to subordinate themselves to an authoritarian leader who defies social rules and legal orders. Trump promises to ‘make America great again’ (mission), attacks internal and external enemies (Manichean demonisation), exhibits a strong personal presence, and uses derogatory language against opponents (makes supporters feel part of the in-group).…

Many pundits pointed out that Trump’s 2024 re-election bid became a carnival of misogyny and racism, even though it was his selling point right from the beginning….

Trump’s carnival has broken the rules to such an extent that even POLITY has downgraded US democratic credentials, suggesting the country is on the cusp of autocracy. This is a full-blown constitutional crisis. The Republican party is choosing fealty to their fool over foundational law of the land.”

• Several books have been written on how Reagan laid the foundation for Trump’s rise to power. The overview of From Ronald to Donald: How the Myth of Reagan Became the Cult of Trump by Edwin G. Oswald, Alan Axelrod, gives a good summary:

“Reagan’s myth persists, and by understanding his time in office in the context of American history and of the American presidency, we can understand how a transformative president created more than policy by also shaping culture with the instrumental force of mythology. This book attempts to neither praise nor bury Reagan but to explain him in non-partisan terms of contemporary popular mythology. The authors examine his legacy in his war on “big government,” which still drives politics, economic policy, and culture, even in Trump’s era. They make the case that understanding the mythology at work is a necessary step toward healing American politics and saving American democracy.”

• What we have been witnessing in the news is: Manufactured Confusion: Gaslighting as a Tool of Power in the Trump Administration | by Center for Racial and Disability Justice

“The Trump administration’s use of gaslighting — old in its lineage, new in its reach — should alarm anyone concerned with truth, justice, or democracy. The actions of officials like Elon Musk, Linda McMahon, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and others are not isolated eccentricities; they are part of a coordinated campaign to unmake public institutions while convincing the public they are being saved.”

“As history teaches us, unchecked manipulation of reality can pave the way for authoritarianism. The antidote lies in truth-telling, transparency, solidarity, and collective defense of our shared reality. In this moment, refusing to be gaslit is not just a personal act of clarity — it is a political act of resistance.”

Going down these rabbit holes tells me I am not alone. There are many learned and invested individuals alongside me to help me find the words to organize my often random thoughts.

Sharing echoes from fellow Substakers lets me know we are part of a force that will not stand by when we see democracy threatened. America is better than lies and gaslighting. We can forgive those who avoid the truth, but we can not forget the damage that has been done to this country on the national and global stage.

🎙️ Community Echoes

Voices from the front lines of the rabbit hole.

“What might help us see through illusions in ‘mine,’ ‘me’? Try see-truth lenses?” — Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne

“We struggle together, realizing that we are no longer living in a free country... The only people that must adhere to law are those without billion-dollar portfolios.” — Stephanie Raffelock

“This convergence of presidential power... creates a poisonous brew—not Christianity but a cheap cult that sanctifies whatever serves power and material success. (Prayer Breakfast)….

There was a time when Americans of every political persuasion could look to the presidency as a North Star of civic decency. Whatever policy disagreements divided us, the office imposed a gravitational pull toward the better angels of our nature. That era is dead. And today its corpse was desecrated.” — Msgr. Arthur Holquin, S.T.L.

“Most of us oppose the POTUS fascist regime, yet some support it. It is troubling that some dismiss what is going on.” — Manuel A Garcia

“If we actually cared about our kids as deeply as we think we do, one would presume we’d be acting differently; one would presume we’d be voting differently.” — Kert Lenseigne

As I look at the walkway my daughter cleared, I’m reminded that the ice doesn’t melt all at once; it requires the deliberate, back-breaking work of someone willing to see the path beneath it. Our political reality is currently frozen over by a layer of manufactured confusion and “poisonous brews,” but the act of digging for truth—of going down those rabbit holes and refusing to accept the Big Lie—is the shovel we use to find our way back to solid ground. Refusing to be gaslit is more than just personal clarity; it is the quiet, persistent labor of clearing a path for others. We may be living through a season of deep hypocrisy, but as long as we keep digging, keep questioning, and keep sharing our “echoes,” we ensure that the foundation of our democracy remains visible, even under the thickest ice.

You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes

And your smile is a thin disguise

I thought by now you’d realize

There ain’t no way to hide your lyin’ eyes - Song by Eagles ‧ 1975

It seems Rupert Murdoch and I can’t get those lyrics out of our heads.

The Guardian, January 31, 2026 - “For once, the president’s reality distortion field – which promised Mexico would pay for his scenes, and you can’t continue to order them to not believe their lying eyes.”

Just for fun I googled “Trump Distractions.” Here are the first 5 results:

1. Vanity Fair four days ago - Trump Needs a New Target for Distraction. Bad Bunny, Iran, and Gavin Newsom Are Prime Candidates

2. January 8, 2026 from The San Diego Voice and View Point - Trump’s Distractions From the Real Issues

3. Politico July 31, 2026 - 47 things Trump would rather talk about than Jeffrey Epstein

4. June 24, 2026 - NAACP Calls Out Trump’s Distraction Tactics

5. Wikipedia - List of conspiracy theories promoted by Donald Trump (it’s a long list)

Let this information sink in.

The only permanent thing about History is change after a long string of ruptures. Is America in the middle of a rupture?

February is Black History month which Carter G. Woodson established In 1926, aligning it with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln February 12 and Frederick Douglass February 14.

When Lincoln gave his speech, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” on June 16, 1858. He was accepting the Illinois Republican Party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate.

This Douglass quote rings true today. “Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.”

All the African Americans we honor during February, 2026 would be very proud of the 62 members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Take the time to click on the link to see the individual members.

I love to listen to two of these very articulate members. In three short years they have shown more courage and integrity than their seasoned colleagues. They can only get better at their jobs.

• Jasmine Felicia Crockett: an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Texas’s 30th congressional district since 2023.

• Hakeem Sekou Jeffries: an American politician and attorney who has served as House minority leader and leader of the House Democratic Caucus since 2023.

“It takes a village to raise a child” is a well-known African proverb. Here are echos from the Substack Village.

• In his Substack last week Kert Lenseigne wrote:

We’ve got to honor and value, more deeply, just how we want to be defined. For me, this happens when we elect and are led by people who embody the better angels of our nature.

• In his sermon for February 2, 2026, Msgr Arthur Holquin

recalled what the late Congressman John Lewis called “good trouble”—the kind of trouble that disrupts business as usual in service of justice, the kind of trouble that makes the comfortable uncomfortable because people are suffering and someone must speak… Yesterday’s “good trouble” in our streets reminds us that we live in consequential times. The question is not whether we will navigate these troubled waters, but how we will navigate them.

• Manuel A Garcia from Fitting the Pieces

We are offered a day each morning. What will I do with my day?

Will I oppose tyranny by the GOP and the criminally convicted POTUS? Or will I arrest Americans that defend freedom?

Will I heal others like Renée Good and Alex Pretti did? Or will I kill like ICE did?

Will I defend immigrants fleeing oppression? Or will I support their oppressors?

Will I obey indecent and illegal orders from my commanding officers? Or will I respect human rights and the U S Constitution?

Will I choose fascism? Or Democracy?

• Episcopal Bishops from across our church launched a message to the nation, calling for justice, peace, and hope. It said, “This is a moment for action. We call on people of faith to stand by your values and act as your conscience demands.”

“This world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love,” words from the renowned preacher, William Sloane Coffin

Please help me start a conversation. I would love to read your thoughts on creating “good trouble.”

Usually I am never at a loss for what to write about. This is not writer’s block. I feel like I have survived an avalanche of news from January and am recovering from a coma. There were brilliantly written Substacks I could not respond to. I did not know where to start. Usually I focus on the words that match my thoughts, but there were too many.

After I posted on Monday, I went outside to face the ice covered foot of snow. There was no one to help me. The man next door came out to tell me I was not going to get through “that.” I asked him what he meant and he offered me a lecture on the fact that there was a layer of ice over the snow. “Well duh,” I thought and told him I would still work on clearing it. I quickly learned that the ice cracked into sheets I could pick up and there was fresh white powder underneath. I think there is a metaphor for what I just wrote: Crack ice, find pure soft snow. It took me three sessions to clear my walk and half of the steps to the street.

Tuesday, I worked in my back yard because I needed to get to my garage down the alley. Yes it is a separate piece of property where my car was safe. After two well executed falls and a level one sprained ankle, I got to my car, backed it down to my house and put it back in. I felt like Rocky at the top of the museum steps. Never tell me I can’t get through something.

Wednesday, I backed the car up to my gate, loaded my overnight bag, the dog bag and Beau into the front of my car. It was time to drop my foster dog off on my way to the Eastern shore for my scheduled acupuncture appointment. Beau laid on his Oriole blanket belted into the passenger seat. He gave me the saddest eyes and shivered. The dam broke and I cried. I don’t have foster fails. I am a “halfway house” to a “furever home” where Beau slept Wednesday night. Another painful and love filled success.

Thursday, after spending the night in the most haunted room at the Atlantic Hotel in Berlin, MD, my doctor asked me how my night was. I told her about how the ghost and I watched the paranormal channel. I received before and after pictures of my front steps that my former next door neighbor cleared for me while I was gone.

My daughter would have but she was snowed in and could not get to her car. It sunk in that my current neighbors did not help me. In that quiet, the weight of the world’s news—the parents I know who lost children to gun violence—pressed in on me. I felt incredibly alone and had an existential moment. My empathetic soul felt the pain the world is suffering from. My doctor softly said, “you are grieving.”

I went back to the hotel for lunch and conversation at the bar where everyone knows my name. I have stayed in “my” haunted Jane Austin room for at least seven years to see the doctor who has known me for at least 20 years. I am a creature of habit who does not like change. The conversation steered to funerals, I told the retired funeral director how absurdly humorous Lithuanians get during the repast. She knew. The bartender did not charge me for my ginger beer. I told her to work on that list for the perfect husband. The retiring school teacher talked about cleaning out his classroom. He surprised me by saying “viso gero” and tipped his hat as he headed toward the door. I am not alone; it just feels like that at times. Feelings are important, especially when facts and the real world become overwhelming. I reside in fictional and personal villages—and I look forward to cracking the rest of the ice.

This past weekend was definitely an ICE weekend in more ways than one. The Winter Storm warning asked us all to stay inside for our own protection and the safety of the essential personnel. Freezing rain pelted my windows while I read the Epistle on Zoom. Technology is a marvelous thing. As I listened to the sermon, I heard “do not cave into fear.... be there for each other.... be a community united in vision.” I thought about those words and how I kept my villagers safe in Ona’s Tears.

Last week I wrote about the Cossacks who were paid agitators. My village survived by not retaliating from their raids. To do so was exactly what the Russians wanted the peasants to do. Instead, my characters used self control as a means of holding on to power.

I was not there to witness my ancestors’ struggle, but my mother’s mantra to “walk away” runs deep. Every time a childhood bully tried to pick a fight, I simply turned my back. As an adult, I replaced silence with strategy. I did not take the bait; I did my homework and turned their ignorance against them. I outsmarted the threat rather than caving to it. This is my Lithuanian heritage: we know that when a regime bans a book, they are merely admitting they’ve already lost the argument. Culture matters.

Inspiration from my Substack Village:

These are wise words from Ukrainian Viktor Kravchuk concerning a bully:

“This chapter of politics will pass. Systems built on cruelty always collapse under their own weight. That man feeds on outrage and noise. He pretends to be untouchable because attention is his oxygen. But he is not all powerful. He shouts because he knows it.”

Stephanie Raffelock wrote:

“Each of us can do one small thing. Regimes die because they don’t expect the backlash from ordinary people who carry goodness, caring and determination with them wherever they go. These people are America, not the haters who carry bottles of gold-leaf in their pockets and try to pawn it off as wealth.”

Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne Jan 26

Still

Massive winter storms,
for real, figuratively.
Small suns, stars still shine.

Parhelic splendors,
sundogs glow in extreme cold.
Barking at ice clouds?

Crimes, lies meet resolve,
some confined, some on the streets.
Our caring, still free.

Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne’s response to Karen Davis Post:

Yes, cold “ice will melt,”

perhaps sooner with our help?

“This is what light does.”

Take-away:

My one small thing is to write this Substack and amplify the power of a village or community. We are not alone. We can be there for each other. We can wake up and pay attention.

The world stage has gotten smaller and bullies are scared of losing power. We need leaders who value precision over performance, and wisdom over whim. Meanwhile, we can choose to be the “adults in the room” and not take the bait. Business is not as usual in this geopolitical world.

What did you take-away from the ICE weekend? How did you weather the storm? Let’s have a conversation. Your attention is a currency—don't spend it on bullies.

1Mary Evans print

Why this post is about Cossacks

Ona’s Tears is based on real stories from first generation Americans.

A Russian soldier stands before a line of shivering people outside a bakery, methodically shooting each one. He moves down the row until he reaches a young woman clutching a baby; for reasons known only to him, he stops. This was the story told to me by Marion, who lived to be eighty-four and treated me like her own daughter. That woman was her Latvian nanny’s sister—an escape from death so narrow it prompted a mother to send her daughters across the ocean to survive the purge. To heighten the tension of that historical terror, I decided to place that soldier on horseback: I made him a Cossack.

This required some research.

Cossacks were paid agitators

Cossacks are often romanticized as free-spirited frontiersmen, but in the context of the late 19th-century, they functioned as the Tsar’s ultimate tool for suppression. They weren’t just soldiers; they were paid agitators. In Ona’s Tears, I leaned into their historical reputation for exceptional horsemanship.

I stripped away the idea of the “noble warrior” and focused on their role as mercenaries—nomads who aligned with whoever paid the highest price. I portray them as Russian tools who stir up dissent to disrupt the status quo with malicious intent, by using force to turn a peaceful village into a landscape with “every citizen a target.”

Creating drama and tension

There were no family stories about why my four grandparents left Lithuania. I had to learn what was going on near Kaunas, Lithuania before they left. I have yet to find the exact date when my paternal grandparents got off the ship in Locust Point, Baltimore.

I know they were born around 1890 which meant they were fifteen during the Russian Revolution. Bloody Sunday, January 1905, marks the beginning of the violent phase of the revolution when a boy was accidentally shot during a peaceful demonstration by the Tsar’s guard causing a riot and further shootings.

Relevance of Ona’s Tears Today

Bad things happen when peaceful protesters are accidentally shot. America’s Bloody Wednesday, January 7, 2026 has touched a nerve and America is waking up. I started writing Ona’s Tears in 2012 following my retirement from Academia. I became an expert in Russian and Lithuanian history. My book was never meant to be a cautionary tale. That changed when Russia invaded Ukraine again on February 24, 2022. If Ukraine falls, we all fall. Putin, like Stalin is a despot with the following characteristics:

• Absolute Power: They typically hold total control over the state and its people, suppressing opposition.

• Human Rights Abuses: Often associated with mass killings, torture, and severe oppression.

• Cult of Personality: Frequently build a cult around themselves to maintain loyalty.

• Use of Force: Utilize secret police, military, or paramilitary groups to enforce rule.

I will leave you with these facts to ponder on as I share posts from my Substack Village:

• Minneapolis Is Not Far From Ukraine:

  “From those invaded by Russia to those invaded by ICE”

Minneapolis is Kyiv.

I am Renee.

And this line holds until this machinery breaks and the law finally matters again.

—Viktor

• The same day, Stephanie Raffelock wrote:

america lost its capital letter when cities became defiled by military occupation and every citizen now a target - no one is safe from the government - no longer a justice department to help - more, a JUST-ICE department

• And in Honor of Martin Luther King Day, Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne wrote:

Fair Freedom We-Ways

MLK Day, but
white supremacy rules strong.
Up to us how long?

King, web weavers, us?
Bridge-building, joined bridge-crossing.
Splitting gaps closing.

Participation,
play our part, our role, our song.
True to our nature.

I encourage you to take the time to read the complete posts of my fellow villagers.

I participated in a discussion on Sunday. Here are a few takeaways:

• We the people must vote

• America is in a moral crisis

• Can the whim and ego of any single person define us?

I invite you to join the conversation. Please comment.

Because of the thoughtful comments I received last week, I have decided to create a Substack Village. In this space, I will recommend other writers who have covered the week’s events, drawing attention to stories that demand our collective focus.

Many of you have enjoyed my posts about Lithuania and my book, Ona’s Tears. As I work on my second book, I find myself constantly struck by how today’s events mirror the history my characters lived through. History does repeat itself. As Americans, we must wake up to ensure we do not repeat the devastating mistakes of the past.

Ona’s Tears is based on the lives of my grandparents. My grandfather was a quiet man who passed away when I was only five. My grandmother, however, lived a life shadowed by fear. I remember feeling her spirit pass through me as a college freshman, moments before I received the call that she had died. She lived with paranoid delusions, petrified of being found by Tsar Nicholas’s Okhrana—the Russian secret police. To her, they were the equivalent of today’s ICE agents.

When she passed in 1968, the world didn’t even know the truth of the Romanov’s fate. She and my grandfather complied faithfully with the 1940 Alien Registration Act, yet they could never apply for citizenship because they were never taught to read English.

If she were alive in America today, she would be just as petrified. This is why I cannot remain indifferent to the death of Renee Nicole Good and the many immigrants suffering under the incompetence of figures like Kristi Noem—an appointee of Donald Trump, a man who seems to follow only his own morality. When will we finally wake up?

In my October 20, 2025 Substack I wrote:

When we remember how to listen and discuss we may find common ground against a true enemy. Maybe the enemy within all sides of any discussion is the ability to lie. Lying has not only lost its stigma — it’s become a viable strategy for success.

How many lies were told last week?

The day before Nicole Renee Good was killed I spent the day watching PBS hearing WATCH LIVE: House Democrats hold special Jan. 6th hearing on five-year anniversary

The beauty of YouTube is that you can watch on your schedule. Stop and start when you need a break. There was one jarring question from the audience, “why are there no Republicans present?” The answer was because they did not want to come.

Adam Kinzinger (January 6, 2026) His words helped me wake up. “We lose this fight for our country only if we get discouraged and we get exhausted…Our battle is to stay engaged through the exhaustion.”

Newsweek PUBLISHED an article you should read. Mike Johnson Gives Update On Jan 6 Plaque

We have work to do to save our democracy. Before an investigation began Trump posted on Truth Social “ … the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer” By now you have seen enough videos to know what happened to Jonathan Ross and what he said when he shot Renee Nicole Good.

The Village Writes

I encourage you to read these full Substack posts whose words I quote to echo my feelings.

Elizabeth Dana Yofee wrote:

I’m not mad at you

We’re supposed to see Renee Nicole Good’s actions as punishable by death. We’re supposed to see non-compliance, mockery, pushing back or protesting inhumane actions as punishable by death. Because if we don’t…well, the threat is implicit.

Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne wrote:

Power-mongering... Peace-making Possible?

For this we can do…

witness, weep, work for we-world.

Stay… kind, linked, willing.

News, overwhelming.
May we be/act deliberate.
Protect our minds, hearts.

Sources, deceiving.
May we be/act discerning.
Defend what’s real, truth.

Volume, loud, heavy.
May we be/act determined.
Find quiet, share load.

In Conclusion

I want to end by sharing a note from yesterday’s sermon that resonated with me: We can create a village that overcomes indifference with justice. That path requires both character and courage.

Please join me in discussing this and how you responded to the events of last week. Let’s have a conversation.

Last week we kicked off December and the importance of Advent. This week is about Kūčios, the last day of Advent. For Kūčios families gather together for the evening on Christmas Eve. It is the combination of the new – Christian and old – Pagan traditions. The important point is that the pagan spirit of this feast does not confront with Christian philosophy.

You are not supposed to cook anything with meat or from animals except for fish. The meal includes 12 different dishes, mainly made from different types of herring, potatoes, beets, and other vegetables. Herring (Silkė) is commonly cooked in different sauces.

The meal starts when the first stars can be seen in the night sky. If it’s cloudy, the head of the house decides when the meal will start! The wafers are offered to each person at the table for everyone to break off a piece. All of the wafers pieces must be eaten before the other dishes.

On December 7, vendors gathered at the Lithuanian Hall in Baltimore for the annual Christmas Bazaar where shoppers could buy essentials needed for (Kūčios) Including:

• Kūčiukai - bite-sized hard biscuits pictured above

• Kalėdaitis - wafers similar to those used in Catholic communion

Other food items were available for Christmas Day including:

• Smoked meats

• Viryta - traditional Lithuanian holiday drink

• Sūris - fresh curd cheese

• Šakotis - “branched tree,” resembling a pine tree with its iconic “branches” (spikes) and tree-ring layers inside

There were various other Lithuanian made and curated items including herbal products and candles, traditional straw ornaments, honey, and even a book by a Lithuanian Author.

So as we continue to count down the end of 2025, here are other December holidays you might want to celebrate:

• December 8 - Bodhi Day, National Brownie Day, Winter Flowers Day

• December 9 - International Anti-Corruption Day, International Day of Veterinary Medicine, National Pastry Day, Techno Day

• December 10 - Dewey Decimal System Day, Human Rights Day, National Lager Day

• December 11 - Have a Bagel Day, International Mountain Day, National Noodle Ring Day, National Tango Day

• December 12 - Gingerbread House Day, Kanji-no-Hi, Miracle of the Roses, National Ambrosia Day, National Ding-a-Ling Day, Poinsettia Day, Yuletide Lads | Jólasveinar

• December 13 - National Day Of The Horse, National Hot Cocoa Day | National Cocoa Day - National Popcorn String Day- National Violin Day, Santa Lucia Day | Little Yule

• December 14 - Hug/Sock Day, Monkey Day | World Monkey Day, National Biscuits and Gravy Day, National Bouillabaisse Day, National Screwdriver Day, Roast Chestnuts Day

  Let’s not forget

I found it while searching for photos to display at Old Major on Small Business Saturday. The note on the back says, “Thanksgiving, 1951.” The timing could not be more perfect.

When you read my book, Ona’s Tears, this is the Baltimore kitchen I describe. After dinner we moved to the parlor below. You will see the sofa next to the vestibule door, the window with the chair Annie sat in, and the radio she and Jonas listened to.

The Journey: From Troba to Row House

A Baltimore row house is nothing like a troba, which is a Lithuanian cottage or farmhouse. A troba had a thatched roof and a protected entryway.

This 1927 photo, obviously taken in the summer given the bare feet, shows the intricate carvings on the eaves.

When my parents married, they lived in that Baltimore row house, saving enough money to eventually buy the home I live in today. As a white American baby boomer, I often hear the word privileged. But my family’s story, the one I tell in Ona’s Tears, starts not with privilege, but with struggle—a struggle against the kind of political and social forces that forced my grandparents out of their homeland.

A Cautionary Tale for Today

This journey—from a struggling cottage in Lithuania to a hard-won row house in America—is one of the main motivations for writing Ona’s Tears. My hope is that those who read it will recognize the cautionary tale it holds for America today.

American education is often myopic, teaching us little about the world history that shaped the immigrant experience. But as an academic and an observer of people, I believe my heritage grants me a different lens: one that recognizes that people are not bad, but belief systems can be.

I am profoundly thankful for my heritage because it keeps me in touch with a reality I can appreciate. It’s a lens that keeps me keenly aware of how quickly the few in power can divide us for their own gain.

Ona’s Tears is an historical immigration novel, but it carries a vital message for today: We have a lot to lose if we forget where we came from and stop asking questions.

We can be thankful for having a roof over our heads, but we must not forget those who lost their roofs due to the Russian bombing of Ukraine. The research I did to write my novel opened my eyes to Russian politics of conquering lands. They gained real estate but not the spirit of the people who refused to capitulate to Russian ideology.

Ukraine, like Lithuania, will fight to keep its sovereignty and identity no matter what peace deals are negotiated without their presence at the table. Zelenskyy was given up until American Thanksgiving Day to accept an American proposal for peace. Let us never forget this or what Russia wants.

Here is Zelenskyy’s response on YouTube:

IMPORTANT! Zelenskyy made a sensational statement about the US “peace project”!

When my family and I sit down to count our blessings this Thursday we will give thanks to our ancestors who fought oppression and remember the victims of genocide and mass land theft in hopes of a better world.