Another great piece, Robes. I admire the way you kept returning the focus to our shared humanity instead of allowing the discussion to settle into another "us versus them" debate. That takes both discipline and compassion as a writer, and it gave this piece a quiet power that stayed with me. The three questions became a lens and I found myself examining my own thinking through them. I appreciate the care and the thought you poured into this. Thank you.
Robes every time I've been trying to post and tell you how much I always love your brilliant wise words. I'm still in the hospital from the stem cell transplant. tell everyone on the porch hello
NIki-Niki--glad you are in the recovery stage...I hope it's going well. I've been missing you on the porch, as I'm sure everyone has. Wishing you a speedy recovery so you can get back to having fun. ❤️
This reminded me how much suffering comes from believing we have to become worthy before we can belong. Every identity we acquire has its place, but beneath all of them there is something that doesn't need to earn its existence. Remembering that doesn't diminish our humanity. It allows us to live it with greater freedom and compassion.
Vlad, I love this reflection. I think you've touched on something that quietly sits beneath so much of our division.
If we believe our worth depends on earning belonging through an identity, then it's easy to cling to that identity more tightly than we should. But if our humanity comes first, then our identities become expressions of who we are, not conditions for our value.
I think compassion grows much more naturally from that place.
Thank you for adding such a thoughtful layer to the conversation.
Thank you, Robes. I really appreciate that. I love the way you phrased it: identities as expressions rather than conditions for our value. That shift changes everything. From there, dialogue becomes less about defending who we think we are and more about discovering what we already share. Thank you for creating a space for these kinds of conversations.
Robes, your words landed exactly where I needed them today. I’m struck by how gently but firmly you remind us that our highest loyalty should be to humanity itself, not to any tribe, belief, or identity that risks narrowing our compassion. The way you frame belonging as both a gift and a risk, something to be cherished but not at the expense of our shared humanity, really resonates. Thank you for asking the harder questions and for encouraging us all to step back, reflect, and seek balance. Pieces like this make the world feel just a little kinder and a little wiser ✨️
Sunshine, this means more to me than I can easily put into words. Thank you.
I think you captured the heart of what I was hoping to say. Belonging is a beautiful part of being human, but it becomes dangerous when it asks us to love our tribe more than our fellow human beings.
If this essay encouraged even one person to pause before drawing another line between "us" and "them," then I feel like it accomplished what I hoped it might.
Thank you for reading it so thoughtfully, and for adding your own kindness to the conversation. Comments like yours remind me why I keep writing.
Another great piece, Robes. I admire the way you kept returning the focus to our shared humanity instead of allowing the discussion to settle into another "us versus them" debate. That takes both discipline and compassion as a writer, and it gave this piece a quiet power that stayed with me. The three questions became a lens and I found myself examining my own thinking through them. I appreciate the care and the thought you poured into this. Thank you.
Robes every time I've been trying to post and tell you how much I always love your brilliant wise words. I'm still in the hospital from the stem cell transplant. tell everyone on the porch hello
NIki-Niki--glad you are in the recovery stage...I hope it's going well. I've been missing you on the porch, as I'm sure everyone has. Wishing you a speedy recovery so you can get back to having fun. ❤️
I'm not recovering very well. It's slower than expected. I have to be here for at least another month.
Ohhh, sweetie! I’m so sorry. Sending prayers that it starts to go better for you. 🫂
Thank you so much for your kind words, Niki. I hope you are doing well and have a speedy recovery. I will tell pass on the greeting. Take care.
—Robes
This reminded me how much suffering comes from believing we have to become worthy before we can belong. Every identity we acquire has its place, but beneath all of them there is something that doesn't need to earn its existence. Remembering that doesn't diminish our humanity. It allows us to live it with greater freedom and compassion.
Vlad, I love this reflection. I think you've touched on something that quietly sits beneath so much of our division.
If we believe our worth depends on earning belonging through an identity, then it's easy to cling to that identity more tightly than we should. But if our humanity comes first, then our identities become expressions of who we are, not conditions for our value.
I think compassion grows much more naturally from that place.
Thank you for adding such a thoughtful layer to the conversation.
Stay entangled, my friend.
—Robes
Thank you, Robes. I really appreciate that. I love the way you phrased it: identities as expressions rather than conditions for our value. That shift changes everything. From there, dialogue becomes less about defending who we think we are and more about discovering what we already share. Thank you for creating a space for these kinds of conversations.
Robes, your words landed exactly where I needed them today. I’m struck by how gently but firmly you remind us that our highest loyalty should be to humanity itself, not to any tribe, belief, or identity that risks narrowing our compassion. The way you frame belonging as both a gift and a risk, something to be cherished but not at the expense of our shared humanity, really resonates. Thank you for asking the harder questions and for encouraging us all to step back, reflect, and seek balance. Pieces like this make the world feel just a little kinder and a little wiser ✨️
Sunshine, this means more to me than I can easily put into words. Thank you.
I think you captured the heart of what I was hoping to say. Belonging is a beautiful part of being human, but it becomes dangerous when it asks us to love our tribe more than our fellow human beings.
If this essay encouraged even one person to pause before drawing another line between "us" and "them," then I feel like it accomplished what I hoped it might.
Thank you for reading it so thoughtfully, and for adding your own kindness to the conversation. Comments like yours remind me why I keep writing.
Stay entangled, my friend.
—Robes