I’m inspired to think about the mindfulness practices that support my resilience and optimism, thankful for the luxuries of time and freedom, and heartbroken that we made the choice to turn boatloads of children away from the safety of our glorious shoreline.

Mean-spirited denial of refuge is almost always disguised as a “protective measure”. Injurious apathy often masquerades as a feeling of overwhelm – “I can’t do everything so I’ll do nothing”, powerlessness – “I am only one person. How much difference can I make, really?” and un-relatedness- I don’t have time to help “them” or “they” should have moved, stopped this sooner, asked for help in a better way, etc.

(It’s helpful to remember history: In July 1938, fewer than 5 percent of Americans believed that the United States should encourage refugees fleeing fascism. In January 1939, 61 percent of Americans opposed the settlement of 10,000 refugee children, “most of them Jewish,” in the United States.

“By 1941, the United States severely restricted refugee resettlement, in part through the Smith Act, which gave individual American consuls power to deny refugee visas, and gave Breckinridge Long, the assistant secretary of state who opposed Jewish migration, greater control of refugee policy.

As nativist voices were triumphing over refugee policy, over 6 million Jews were exterminated during the Nazi reign of terror.” – Lee Fang, writing in The Intercept

Anne Frank, barely into her teens, hiding from certain death, said this:

“How wonderful it is that no one need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”- Anne Frank

It’s not really all that wonderful when you think about it. It’s a daunting call to action, and it’s true.

The whole world is really a boatload of children, waiting to be deemed worthy of attention and care.