Thread by @JacquelynGill

Some people will try to tell you that pleasure is wrong in times of struggle.

Ignore those people.

When things are hard, I often turn to the natural world for inspiration, strength, and yes, even joy. Sharing this sense of wonder with others makes me feel more connected and grounded, and gives my life meaning. It also reminds me of what I fight for.

Inevitably, when I do this, someone will comment that it's all going to end because of climate change, or they present mass extinction and civilizational collapse as an inevitability. The people who do this are angry, afraid, and hurt.

I don't think it's okay to hurt other people because you are angry, in pain, or afraid. And I wish I knew how to say, "I see you, but this is not okay."

I am not going to stop loving, and I am not going to stop fighting. I believe deeply that we can find joy in the fight, too.

So if it seems like I'm leaning into wonder more these days, it's not because I'm ignoring the struggle: it's that I felt like I was becoming disconnected from the *reason* I do what I do. And that reason? Love. I love this big, curious, wonderful, messy, fascinating planet.