Desire is one of the earliest stigmas we ever encounter. When we are children lessons about impulse control and self-discipline are taught by well-intentioned adults who want to teach us life skills needed to equip us as “functional” adults in society.

More than ever, crisis right now may feel ubiquitous. Every day may bring another news report of a tragedy somewhere in the world, a policy that will hurt you or those you love, or a foreboding sign for the future of where our country — or world — is headed. If this is how you feel, you aren’t alone.

When the historic tornado struck St. Louis on May 16th of this year, I was in New Orleans at my best friend’s graduation. Due to a miscommunication, I missed the moment he’d walked across. Then I found myself suddenly invited at the last minute to a dinner party hosted by wealthy relatives, where I felt noticeably underdressed. I was trying hard to make up for all the ways I felt I couldn’t fully show up on his big day.