Central to my mindfulness practice is a question I return to several times a day:
“What’s most important right now? What action can I take to be part of the solution?”
Sometimes the situation calling for a response is personal. Sometimes professional. Sometimes political. That simple question helps me navigate from a place rooted in my deepest values. At the end of my life looking back, how will I have wanted to show up right now?
This week, my four years of intense involvement with the Afghan refugee community in the Washington, DC region has made the headlines hit with particular force. The devastating shooting of two National Guardsmen by an Afghan refugee—someone who had worked for the CIA in Afghanistan—is abhorrent.
I am also painfully aware that the policy response to this tragedy has been broad-brushed and severe, halting the processing of asylum and green card applications for countless people whose lives are already in limbo. The news this week touches every dimension of my life: personal, professional (since my volunteer work has become part of my purpose work), and political.
So again I ask myself: What’s most important right now?
For me, the answer is to leverage my experience, insight, and privilege.
In our years of walking alongside Afghan families—many of whom served as security guards protecting American personnel in Kabul—the most challenging and anxiety-laden part of their journey has been navigating work permit renewals and green card applications. No matter how dedicated we were (and are) as volunteers, there were moments when only a skilled immigration lawyer could move things forward. Those professionals are the lifeline.
Action Opportunity
If you, too, are wondering how to take meaningful action in a moment when so many futures are at stake, I invite you to consider supporting the non-profit organization Just Neighbors.
Just Neighbors provides high-quality immigration legal services to low-income immigrants, asylees, and refugees in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. They also work to build community—among clients, volunteers, staff, and the broader public—through education, advocacy, and hands-on engagement.
Supporting their work is one of the most impactful steps we can take to protect vulnerable families who are striving to rebuild their lives with dignity and safety.
Below is a QR code to donate if you would like to join forces with my local advocacy group Kind Humans 4 Democracy in our fundraising efforts this month. Just Neighbors is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and you will receive a confirmation for tax purposes.
I could write a book about our experience helping Afghan families find their footing after the Taliban takeover. Maybe one day I will. But today, what feels most important is doing what I can to strengthen the legal support system that stands between so many immigrants and the uncertainty they face.
Thank you for considering this action from your own place of compassion and purpose.
