In 1943, American psychologist Abraham Maslow wrote a paper, “The Theory of Human Motivation”. The theory is a classification system whereby there is a hierarchy of universal human needs that one needs to have met before acquiring the next. Starting with physiological needs (those needed for survival) the hierarchy continues through developmental stages until self-actualization (raison d’etre for humans). If the basic physiological needs are not met, survival is questionable. If any of the other subsequent needs are not met, one will be stuck at a level and most likely experience stunted emotional growth.

Just recently I was thinking of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. In the current climate of our country, there appears to be a collective deficit in our basic needs being met. Are we stuck and stunted?

Many people that I know (myself included) are finding themselves feeling stressed and anxious. For a while I couldn’t understand why my brain was having trouble focusing. Compared to most, things are good in our household and life. Yet, I am finding that my reaction to recent events feels similar to the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. At that time, I was in a state of shock over the lockdown and the way our daily lives were disrupted. I found myself not wanting to listen to the news, yet drawn to watching whenever I could.

I seem to be in that same mode of operating again. While I know that I should limit my news reading, I find myself looking over and over at online newspaper articles, periodicals and youtube/news segments. And I am in a state of shock. How quickly the world can go from status quo to confusion. Chaos seems to swirl among us and there is a pall of dread over our heads. Our way of life is not stable, our basic needs are in question and for some, safety and security is gone.

There have been multiple studies regarding children and their responses both physical and emotional to living in unstable family situations (due to socio-economics- changes in residences, caregivers, primary parental figures, parental substance abuse) Lacking safety and security, children in these settings are more likely to have physical ailments such as asthma, weakened immune systems; behavioral issues such as aggression; and emotional ones such as stress and anxiety.

I feel as if our nation is like those children: struggling with the first two levels in Maslow’s Hierarchy- physiological and safety and security needs. No wonder most people I know are feeling a sense of helplessness. I am struck by how much instability and insecurity affects behavior and thoughts: that certain situations cause great difficulty to survival.

With Maslow’s theory, it takes an outside force- parents, guardians and caretakers to provide and therefore help move the child along with his/her basic needs.

It seems to me that now, if ever, is an opportunity for each one of us to help one other in assuring that those around us have those basic needs met. As a collective anxious body, we need to look beyond ourselves and see the needs in our community. We can be on the lookout for those who are food insecure or unhoused or who are feeling unsafe.

What about you? How are you feeling in this moment of whiplashed governmental policies? Has it affected you? Your community? What opportunities do you see in your community? For helping those in need?

In the news coverage of President Jimmy Carter’s death, there was reference to his speech, Crisis of Confidence (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/carter-crisis/.) In it he talks about the individual and how small sacrifices can help the common good of our nation. At the time, the small sacrifices referred to actions related to the energy crisis. But the sentiment is still true: individual’s small sacrifices can add up to a collective larger one.

While we wait for the government to shift and sort out these turbulent decisions, we, the people can do something. We can hold our communities close and do what we can for each other:

Purchase food for the local food bank- pick up something each time you go to the store; organize a food drive with your neighbors
Check on your neighbors, especially those living alone and who might be fearful
Contribute $ to those non-profits that you value
Support local journalists
Support your local stores, businesses and restaurants
Contribute to NGOs, especially the ones that work with religious organizations like World Relief (worldrelief.org)
If certain policies or procedures trouble you, send letters to your representative or senator
Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg address said, “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” (U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863)
A friend of ours works for Social Security. She acknowledges that managing the government is unwieldy. Things do move slowly. But, she will ask, do you really want it to go that fast? Should it really be that efficient? At the expense of the people? While the government (like churches) need to be good stewards and managers, do we really want them to be run like a business? Businesses whose bottom line is about profits and for (selected) shareholders. Governments are for all the people.

Just received word that some of my devotionals from the Strength and Grace Guideposts Magazine have been used in a new book collection from them: https://guideposts.org/shop/product/comfort-for-caregivers/