My head is a jumble these days, even more so than normal.

As a busy single mom, a woman deep in the fog of perimenopause and writer for over two decades, it’s not necessarily uncommon but my overthinking and worrying brain has really ramped up over the last year and a half and ever since the No Kings 3 rally three weeks ago, I’ve been trying to put my thoughts together for this piece. It’s not that I don’t know what to say — it’s that I have so much to say that I’ve been overwhelmed with it all. But I woke up one morning not too long ago and suddenly it all started pouring out of me, so here we are.

I have met the most amazing people through protesting, good and kind and empathetic people who align with the same values and beliefs I have held my entire life and one in particular that is especially important — that all humans deserve rights and dignity. Those who are out rallying are happy to be a voice for those who need allies and they love their country deeply but are heartbroken that not everyone wants what is best for everyone, for the greater good for all.

The morals instilled in me from being raised protestant Christian are something I hold close to my heart. And while I haven’t subscribed to religion for a long time now, being engrained with Jesus’s way of life — love your neighbor as yourself — is something I am grateful for. I’m passing along a lot of what I learned growing up to my own kids and I’m raising them with the same intent I live by, one they are very familiar with and believe in too — treat others how you want to be treated.

We also feel strongly that if you are not hurting anyone with the way you are living your life, you should be able to love whoever you want and make decisions about your own body and live out loud and proud. The protesters I have met, from all walks of life, all feel the same way and it’s such a breath of fresh air to be around large groups of loving people and feeling that beautiful, warm energy wash over me.

I protest-hopped on March 28, first to Fitchburg’s rally that was 450 people strong, then to Lancaster where about 400 people gathered, and finally to Townsend, which drew 275 community members. There was music and bubbles and snacks and kids of all ages, people of all colors, and even some adorable dogs — one wearing a gold crown and a red cape that said “No Kings” on the back and another one wearing a sign around its neck that read “Dogs for Democracy.”

I talked to Janet Fox in Fitchburg, an 89-year-old Ashburnham resident who said she had been crying all day, and her voice broke with emotion when saying she protested the Vietnam War and never imagined she would be here again. “I didn’t realize how hard it would be to be here. I just wanted to live my last years in peace,” she said.

A woman named Lauren held her almost 2-year-old daughter Olivia and said it was important to her to be there because “her future is at risk.”

Leah Witzgall, 16, and Genesis Vega, 17, held signs that expressed their fed-up feelings about the current political climate and people in charge and there was a group of 10- and 12-year-olds with homemade signs that were still standing by the road holding the signs they made long after most people had dispersed.

State Rep. Mike Kushmerek,D-Fitchburg, was among those who gave speeches in front of Fitchburg City Hall that day, giving uplifting messages filled with hope and reminders to stay vigilant. When we were chatting, I noticed Kushmerek was holding his notes and he laughed when he told me he wrote them on a manilla folder — the closest thing he could reach when it came to him while he was rocking his young son in the middle of the night.

I listened to the boyfriend of one of the amazing, badass activists I have connected with play the national anthem on his electric guitar and it filled me with pride. I stood beside Cindy and Tessa and Wren and Krystal and so many other people who are my heroes that I am proud to now call friends, beautiful humans out there making these protests happen and doing standouts and writing postcards and creating signs and speaking out.

They, like so many others, gather peacefully in the name of love for their fellow human beings, for legal rights and due process, for democracy and law, for future generations. I am so thankful to have met them and have them in my life.

I always leave protests feeling hopeful and lighter and my heart is filled with a feeling of contentment I don’t get a lot of these days. Of course my three kids bring me immense joy and I am grateful beyond words for them, the loves of my life, but nowadays I constantly worry about the kind of world they are growing up in — one where unfortunately a lot of people truly believe that others who may not look like them or live like them are less than because of the color of their skin, who they love, their anatomy, and more.

After all, when it really comes down to it, we humans are more alike than different. We all bleed red. We all want to be loved and to love. We all seek connection and want health and safety and security for ourselves and our families and friends and loved ones.

The amazing Artemis 2 crew and their mission reminded me of all of that. Their inspirational journey represented so much more than going to space. It was about uniting together, with each other and the world, and how we are fortunate to have this planet to call home and that when we take care of each other, we all thrive. Their stories and thoughts about Earth and the universe and humanity were the lifeline I didn’t even know I needed and watching it all unfold was incredibly healing in many ways for me and I know so many others.

As I was hugging and waving goodbye to my children on a recent morning as they all went off to school, I was overcome with peace and serenity. This is what life is all about, caring for your friends and families and loved ones and neighbors and being the best version of yourself in your own little corner of the world.

The lyrics to Cat Steven’s “Peace Train” to me are more relevant than ever and I found myself tearing up listening to it the other day. One can only hope we get there again sooner than later. This is the recipe that would make America great.

“Now I’ve been happy lately, thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be, something good has begun

Oh I’ve been smiling lately, dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be, some day it’s going to come

Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country, come take me home again.”