When Donald Trump talks about how much the U.S. has given to Europe and Canada and gotten nothing back in return, he gives the impression that he himself has been generous, even magnanimous, and his generosity has not been reciprocated. Trump’s speech at Davos last week was a complete embarrassment. He never acknowledged the many countries in NATO that supported the U.S. during various conflicts. Or the families who had lost children during those conflicts. In short, he did not acknowledge those who had made the ultimate sacrifice.

The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Trump’s comments, “insulting and appalling.” Starmer said he was “not surprised they’ve caused such hurt for the loved ones of those who were killed or injured.” Britain lost 457 service personnel during the war in Afghanistan. 

It got me thinking about exactly what kind of sacrifices Trump himself has made. Let’s not forget that Trump received five deferments during the Vietnam War, including one for bone spurs. He never joined the Peace Corps or VISTA. None of his children served their country, or worked for a nonprofit, or volunteered to help the needy. No sacrifices there.

And it gets worse. In 1988, Trump established the Donald J. Trump Foundation, a New York-based charitable foundation. The foundation was dissolved in 2018 following a New York Attorney General’s investigation that revealed a shocking pattern of illegality, and misuse of funds for personal and business interests. In 2019, Trump was ordered to pay $2 million to eight different charities as part of a settlement regarding the misuse of funds. Eric and Ivanka, who were officers of the foundation, were required to undergo training regarding the duties of officers of charitable organizations. 

I would argue that instead of sacrifice, Trump has ratcheted up the grift machine to line the coffers of the Trump dynasty. 

Since Trump’s reelection in 2024, the Trump family has pocketed more than $1.8 billion in cash and gifts from leveraging the presidency for personal gain, including more than $1.2 billion in crypto gains alone. No sacrifices there. 

And it gets worse. Trump recently pardoned Binance founder Changping Zhao who previously pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program which allowed money to flow to terrorist cybercriminals and child abusers through the Binance platform. Last year the Trump administration announced that it would deliver hundreds of thousands of advanced AI chips to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). That deal followed a UAE investment in a Trump crypto venture via Binance. (The UAE is expected to deliver those chips to China, thereby circumventing an advanced AI chip embargo.)

At the beginning of his second term, Trump owed nearly $500 million to New York State which had sued him for fraud, and more than $88 million to E. Jean Carroll who had sued him for sexual assault and defamation. (The fraud financial penalty has been revoked, and Trump is appealing the E. Jean Carroll verdict.) 

In summary, thanks to this second term, Trump’s finances have taken a very positive turn. No sacrifices there.

In addition, Trump has capitalized on the whole Mar-a Lago situation. Not that many years ago, initiation fees were about $20,000. After the 2016 election, Trump jacked up the initiation fee to $100,000. Last fall, it was set to rise to $1 million. According to the New York Times, thanks to the presidency, Trumps gains from Mar-a Lago are estimated at $125 million.

Plus, Trump’s namesake, Donald Trump Jr. has co-founded his own private club in DC creatively named The Executive Branch which charges an initiation fee of $500,000. 

Then, of course, there are the profits from the Trump Store and all the tchotchke associated with it. Add to that the $400 million jet that Trump accepted from Qatar and plans to take with him when he leaves office, and the $27 million profit from the Amazon-funded film Melania. 

There has never been a presidency that has sacrificed so little and brazenly profited so much. 

And it gets worse. The Washington Post has reported that many pledged donations that Trump made were not delivered, and his charitable donations had dropped to $0.

Many articles have been written stating that Trump has normalized selfishness. Such selfishness is pretty much the opposite of sacrifice, which is especially galling from a guy who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Perhaps that’s why last week’s speech in Switzerland was so difficult to hear from a man who has been given so much and sacrificed so little. 

Abraham Lincoln once said, “There is no success without sacrifice. If you succeed without sacrifice, it is because someone has suffered before you.”  It behooves all of us to remember the sacrifices of those who came before us. Especially if you’re the one occupying the oval office. 

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Maria Grant, formerly principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm, now focuses on writing, reading, music, bicycling, and nature.

During troubled times like these, it’s a good idea to take a break and read a novel. Why? Because this pastime forces you to think about life in its totality–the world’s history, misdeeds, progress, and sometimes offers the possibility of hope.

I have found solace in novels this past year. Here are some of my favorites.

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver. I’m a huge fan of all her work. I loved Demon Copperhead and The Poisonwood Bible. Unsheltered does not disappoint. It’s about two families who live next door to each other in New Jersey, 145 years apart. In both cases, their homes are falling apart, and no one has the wherewithal to shelter their family from within. This construct allows Kingsolver to contrast the fear of a Trump presidency (well-founded, I might add) with the controversy that ensued over Darwin’s ideas, considered radical at the time. Such a construct confronts the possibility of the collapse of not only our societies, but our shelters and the social order. This theme encourages readers to think about how to seek their own shelters as the world shifts around us. 

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. I was a bit skeptical about this novel as the story is told through letters, emails, and journal entries. I ended up loving it. The story is about a retired law clerk named Sybil who writes to family, friends, authors, and academics. These correspondences illustrate the power of connection while grappling with the human condition, grief, joy, aging, and the power of forgiveness. NPR named it the best book of the year. I agree. 

Heart the Lover by Lily King. As a former undergraduate and graduate student of English literature, I’m a sucker for novels with tons of literary references. Heart the Lover is chock full of them. While reading the novel, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much research went into all the back stories about authors, their plots, and famous sentences. Heart the Lover is about a woman who ultimately wants to be a writer. It’s about what happens when friends turn into lovers, when friends screw up, wise up, find themselves, and realize what they have lost in the process. Literary references in the novel include The Great Gatsby, The Magic Mountain, Ulysses, Finnegan’s Wake, Confessions of Saint Augustine, The Aeneid, Othello, Macbeth, Crime and Punishment, Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary, As I Lay Dying, The Sun Also Rises, and The Golden Bowl. In referencing these novels, King emphasizes how literature shapes the characters’ understanding of love, loss, and personal identity. 

An Inside Job by Daniel Silva. If you are seeking a delightful escape into the world of art, finance, and Italy, this is the novel for you. An Inside Job is Silva’s 25th book in the Gabriel Allon series. I have read all of them. They are a great way to learn more about Renaissance art, the art dealing industry, and espionage tactics. Plus, the novel is just a good old-fashioned engaging “who-done-it” page turner. In this novel, a painting in the Vatican that may have been painted by da Vinci goes missing, and a young intern in the Vatican’s art department turns up dead. Allon uncovers a network of lies stretching from the Vatican to financial brokers to the Italian mafia. 

Among Friends by Hal Ebbott. This novel is about two families whose long-term friendship is shattered by a shocking betrayal during a birthday celebration at a New York country house. It dives deep into the fascinating exploration of what happens when you are betrayed by your best friend. How do you recover? Can you recover? Can you mentally convince yourself that everything can return to the way it was? I read this novel a few months ago, and its major themes continue to haunt me. I find myself thinking about the characters and their reactions to various events a crazy amount of time. I’m glad I read this book. 

What I love about all these novels are the themes of the devastating ramifications of our decisions, our mistakes, and the difficulties of leading a truly moral life. 

In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde wrote, “Modern morality consists in accepting the standard of one’s age. I consider that for any man of culture to accept the standard of his age is a form of the grossest immorality.” 

Something to think about in 2026. 

Maria Grant, formerly principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm, now focuses on writing, reading, music, bicycling, and nature.

 

Many people have died during the first year of Trump’s second term. A majority of them have been people of color. Here’s a brief summary. 

Thiry-two people died in ICE detention centers in 2025. At least seven of them died in the first 100 days of the administration.

Three people died in accidents while running from ICE raids.

Various reports suggest that cuts to international aid caused up to 14 million deaths globally.

Last year, more than 100,000 Americans were killed by gun violence.

Reports indicate that there have been at least 115 deaths in more than 35 boat strikes off Venezuelan waters between September 2025 and January 2026. So far, the administration has provided little evidence that the targeted vessels were carrying drugs, or that all victims were involved in drug trafficking. 

Venezuelan officials report that approximately 100 Venezuelans were killed during the U.S. operation to capture Maduro. During Trump’s press conference after Maduro’s capture, no mention was made of those deaths. The only mention of death was when Trump stated that no Americans were killed, and only two Americans were injured. 

Just last week, Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis. Two people were injured, one seriously, by federal officers in Portland, Oregon, the day after the Minneapolis shooting. 

Trump has been deeply disturbed by White South Africans being killed but has not expressed that same outrage about the Black people who have been murdered in South Africa and other nations.

Since the beginning of his second term, Trump has painted over Black Lives Matter murals and scrubbed stories about Navajo Code Talkers from museums in yet another effort to erase non-White history. He has removed Black historical figures from national websites; signed an executive order attacking the National Museum of African American History; rolled back DEI initiatives; and reinstalled Confederate memorials that had been removed. 

Trump has called Somali immigrants “garbage,” and said, “We don’t want them in our country. Let them go back to where they came from.” He has continued to seal the country to refugees around the world, reserving only a limited number of slots for White South Africans. (He has also stated that he wishes more White people from Denmark would immigrate to the U.S. rather than the current “garbage” who are here. That wish is unlikely to be realized given Trump’s obsession with taking over Greenland.) 

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Trump stated that the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 led to white people being treated “very badly.” In response, NAACP President Derrick Johnson stated that there is no evidence that White people have been discriminated against as a result of the civil rights movement. 

Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has a history of political extremism. He was the architect of family separations at the border. His leaked emails shared white nationalist talking points. And his former work in government has consistently targeted people of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ Americans. 

When conservative activist Charlie Kirk was murdered in that horrific incident, Miller, Vance, and Trump pronounced that anyone who repeated Kirk’s very own words which many would interpret as racist or sexist should be called out. Their employers should fire them immediately. Some employers took those demands seriously and several employees lost their jobs. 

Contrast the casualness of minority deaths with the outcry over White deaths with the kind of recruitment that is going on right now for more ICE agents. When the “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed, it included almost $75 billion extra for ICE agents, making ICE the largest law enforcement agency in the country, outstripping even the FBI. 

To meet its hiring targets, ICE has removed age restrictions and cut the training time in half. It is also using some far-right websites in its recruiting efforts. Scholars have connected some of the recruiting to Proud Boy rhetoric as well. 

Keep in mind that the majority of ICE arrestees do not have criminal records. Only roughly eight percent of them have been convicted of a crime. Many critics say that the current ICE recruitment strategy uses violent video game metaphors, encourages extremism and racist indoctrination, and suggests that ICE will make America different than what it currently is. In essence it presents the new America as a violent but White place. 

Martin Luther King once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” 

The casual collateral damage rhetoric that surfaces from this Administration when people of color are killed or treated with cruelty and no due process will result in severe consequences. This mindset impacts international relations, domestic stability, and societal well-being. 

Actions to curtail the current momentum have never been more important. Ensuring that voters are informed about current threats to our democracy and mobilizing as many as possible to vote this November will make a difference. Act now. 

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Maria Grant, formerly principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm, now focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature. 

When I do my year in review, examples of over-the-top spending at almost obscene levels come to mind. 

A case in point. Jeff Bezos. Bezos owns a $165 million mansion in Beverly Hills; a $23 million home in DC; a $500 million superyacht featuring its own support yacht and helicopter pad; a $75 million private jet. His three-day wedding extravaganza reportedly cost $55 million and involved 90 private jets and 30 water taxis for the 250 VIP guests. The couple spent the holiday in Aspen before jetting off to St, Barts for some high-end shopping and mingling with the glitterati, including Leonardo DiCaprio and his girlfriend. I could go on.

Trump spent 15 days at Mar-a-Lago in December. He played golf at least 12 times, hosted a variety of gala dinners with excessive displays of fancy food, glitz, entertainment, etc. Last week, he had his motorcade veer from its usual route to the golf course to stop at a stone and tile shop so that he could select marble and onyx for his ridiculously large White House ballroom. During these little jaunts, helicopters fly overhead and increased security surround him. 

Already Trump has spent half a billion dollars in tax funds for vanity projects such as a military parade, a statuary garden, an upgrade to Air Force One, Oval Office décor and furniture, plus all the gold and glitz he added throughout the white House. (I’ve read several articles that predict that the next President will spend a substantial sum of money getting rid of all these so-called “enhancements.”) 

Trump’s plans for his spectacular birthday party in July 2026 to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence are estimated to cost taxpayers $100 million.

Speaking of wasting tax-payer dollars, the National Guard deployments to L.A., DC, Portland, Chicago, and Memphis that nobody wanted are estimated to cost more than $473 million—a number that could pay for approximately 2,585 federal government employee jobs.

Meanwhile Trump has cut domestic spending by approximately $163 billion, including cuts to agencies charged with monitoring weather, scientific research, public health programs, and so much more. SNAP benefits and health care premiums have been negatively impacted and the costs to average Americans are predicted to continue to go much higher.

According to data from the Congressional Budget Office, wealth inequality has been rising steeply in the U.S. over the last 30 years. The top one percent of earners now owns nearly 30 percent of the total wealth in this country, with the bottom 50 percent owning only four percent of that wealth.

What happens when income inequality gets out of control? Social cohesion erodes, economic growth is hindered, and political polarization increases. 

Specifically, the economic impacts include slower growth, reduced mobility, and increased debt. From a societal perspective, heightened inequality breaks down community bonds and trust between different economic groups. Health for many citizens worsens, and people’s self-worth and fulfillment are diminished. 

So why is it so difficult for Americans to take steps to correct these disparities—steps such as increasing the minimum wage, taxing the rich more heavily, or providing basic income for all?

Sociologists claim that biases get in our way. Americans are often accused of zero-sum thinking—that is the belief that lifting someone else’s boat will cause their boat to sink lower. We also tend to blame personality traits rather than outside influences when people suffer from poverty. Labeling people who have not been given many privileges as lazy and unmotivated is an example of that behavior. 

There is also something called the halo effect. We credit successful people with positive qualities that may not be relevant to their success. 

So, what to do about all this income inequality? Sociologists suggest that we become more aware of our biases and understand how such thinking works against all of us. They suggest we slow down our biased thinking, imagine a better future together, and promote policy changes that drive down income inequality which would result in a happier and more cohesive society. 

Plutarch famously stated, “An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailments of all republics.” 

Let’s hope our country gets serious about addressing the inequality issue in 2026. 

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Maria Grant, formerly principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm, now focuses on writing, reading, music, bicycling, and nature. 

The end of the year is a good time to take stock and identify what’s working and what’s not. This year such an exercise is especially important as, in my opinion, there is much that is not working. We cannot afford to repeat 2025. Here are some actions to consider as we enter 2026.

Get out the Vote! We need many more Americans to vote in 2026 than voted in 2024. Several initiatives are underway to do just that. Also, a detailed analysis of swing districts on which to focus is important. Get involved in supporting these efforts. Become a poll watcher or join forces with constituents who are taking steps to ensure election integrity. 

On Maryland’s Eastern Shore, hopes are high that the First District will be much more competitive if a Blue Wave occurs. Andy “Handgun” Harris, who pledged to serve no more than six terms in the House and has now served eight, could be defeated once and for all.  

Embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Administration’s efforts to dismantle the progress we have made in these areas undermine democracy and rob America of the contributions made from large swaths of our population. Such divisive efforts promote racism and discrimination. One of the things that makes America great is its diversity–its melting pot roots. Returning to White male supremacy or embracing oligarchy is a huge mistake. Let’s celebrate and embrace our differences and reject efforts to return to a white-bread world order. 

Preserve our environment. The damage this Administration has done to the environment is downright unconscionable. Trump has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. He has rolled back or weakened numerous regulations on greenhouse gas emissions, replacing them with less stringent rules. He has championed coal, oil, and gas production, opening tracts of public lands and ocean waters to new drilling. He has discouraged renewable energy projects. He has rolled back the Clean Water Act and protections for wetlands and streams. He has weakened the Endangered Species Act. He has undermined science and research by cutting critical research funding, firing government scientists, and removing climate change information from federal websites. 

Specifically on the Eastern Shore, because of Trump’s policies, the city of Crisfield has lost $36 million in federal funding from the FEMA program aimed at flood mitigation and managing rising sea levels. The Administration has actively sought to block the development of Maryland’s first offshore wind farm near Ocean City. It has also proposed drastic cuts to the Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Program and weakened federal clean water regulations which could eliminate protections for thousands of acres of wetlands and headwater streams vital to the Bay’s health. The Administration’s regulatory rollbacks have weakened limits on mercury and other toxic emissions from power plants and coal ash disposal, posing risks to air and water quality in our region. Plus, the removal of climate and research data is hindering access to information vital to plan for specific impacts of climate change. 

Fighting these environmental rollbacks involves a multi-pronged approach including legal actions, state level initiatives, public advocacy, and civic engagement. Do your research and get involved. It’s important.

Support the Arts. We on the Eastern Shore are the lucky ones to have top-tier music and art at our fingertips. These nonprofit organizations need your support to thrive and continue to bring culture at its best to the public at large. Do what you can to contribute to their funding drives. Also encourage your friends and neighbors to attend concerts and gallery openings. It’s vital to keep the momentum going. 

This year the options are plentiful. Check out Chesapeake Music’s website for information on its many concerts next year, including concerts in February and March, a Competition in April, June Festival concerts, Interlude concerts throughout the year and more; Gabriela Montero’s concert series at the Ebenezer Theater; Mid-Atlantic Symphony performances; the Avalon Theater’s bountiful programming; the Art Academy’s many exhibits; and the numerous galleries and shops open on Easton’s First Friday Gallery Walks. 

If the past year has taught us anything, it’s the importance of community engagement to address issues and promote workable solutions. Freedom is not free. We must work to preserve democracy, civility, empathy, and justice. 

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The future depends on what you do today.”  

Peter Drucker, the revolutionary Austrian American management consultant, educator, and author, once wrote, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

And perhaps most importantly, Plato told us, “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” 

Amen. 

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Maria Grant, formerly principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm, now focuses on writing, reading, music, bicycling, and nature.

Let’s face it. This has been a tough year. It seems like almost every week there has been some kind of tragedy—murder, catastrophic weather, shootings, and more. Plus, many of us feel totally alienated by the goings on of the current administration. 

So, what to do? Perhaps it’s time to reflect on the simple pleasures that offer hope and glimmers of joy.in our lives. Here are some pleasures on my list this year. 

The many magnificent local concerts I’ve heard this year including those sponsored by Chesapeake Music, Gabriela Montero, Mid-Atlantic Symphony, the Avalon, and Oxford Community Center. How lucky are we to have such fabulous sounds at our fingertips!

My wonderful neighbors grow beets in their vegetable garden. They bring me jars of pickled beets that are beyond delicious.

My two book clubs have provided substantive conversations about books and the human condition. This year’s books included Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw; Lily King’s Heart the Lover; Yael Van der Wouden’s The Safekeep, Barbara Kingsolver’s Unsheltered, and Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. 

Behind our home in Florida, lives a gopher tortoise that we named Kevin. He brings a smile to my face every time he saunters down the path, basking in sunshine and checking out the neighborhood.

Our community’s Habitat for Humanity campaign raised enough dollars to sponsor yet another house in the area. It warms our hearts to know that another family will have shelter this holiday season. 

Our own gardens harvested a bumper crop of tomatoes this year, all shapes and sizes that were super sweet and tasty. We also had a successful cutting garden which meant vases of zinnias, lilies, and daisies on the screened porch and kitchen table. 

I began taking boating lessons and, although still far from adept at handling our boat, I can now navigate our waters using auto pilot and the Garmin system, which gives me a sense of accomplishment. I have much more to learn during next year’s boating season. 

Many coffees, lunches and dinners with friends and neighbors have provided connections, some laughs, and some much-needed commiserations about the state of our union. 

During my bike rides in Florida this season, I have come upon horned owls, great blue herons, eagles, roseate spoonbills, egrets, osprey, green herons, pelicans, and mottled ducks. What a special treat it is to see them in their nests and nearby ponds. I’ve even been fortunate enough to spot a few pods of manatees searching for warmer waters during a brief cold spell. 

I’ve done quite a bit of cooking this year including, of course, making a ton of crabcakes. I’ve also made spaghetti squash chicken parmesan, coq au vin, lasagna, and blackened salmon, just to name a few. These dinners have led to interesting conversations and some much-needed laughter. 

When I think about what could make things better next year, getting more people out to vote in 2026 is at the top of my list. It’s hard to believe that close to 90 million Americans failed to go to the polls in 2024. I am heartened by so many initiatives currently underway to ensure that that doesn’t happen next year. 

The writer Oscar Wilde once wrote, “Simple pleasures are the last healthy refuge in a complex world.”

This is a good year to remember those wise words. 

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Maria Grant, formerly principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm, now focuses on writing, reading, music, bicycling, and nature.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about exactly when such qualities got put on the back burner or perhaps shoved out the door. 

In the last several weeks, I’ve seen photos of the White House Press Secretary and her friend posing in string bikinis; a photo of Gwyneth Paltrow posing in a garden nude to celebrate her 50th birthday; at least 10 photos of Lauren Sanchez clothed in extremely suggestive outfits, including at formal events  such as White House dinners; Jennifer Lopez in sheer see-through garb; Hailey Bieber in what could charitably be described as a bikini; Madonna with rollers in her hair posing half-naked while sitting on a toilet; Sabrina Carpenter’s album cover which depicts her on her hands and knees while a man pulls her hair; and Halle Berry posing naked in bed while drinking a cup of coffee. 

Don’t get me wrong, in terms of those women who are older, I think it’s great that so many of them look fantastic. But one can celebrate such great looks in a tasteful and discrete fashion, which can often be even more attractive. 

In the past few months, the leader of the free world has called various female reporters little piggy, stupid, horrible, obnoxious, nasty, ugly both inside and out, and more. He has called Somalians garbage. He has called some African countries “shitholes.” He has called immigrants rapists, murderers, and crooks. He has called others “low I.Q. individuals,” and “filthy, dirty, disgusting losers.”  

No warm and cozy feelings are emanating from this administration this season. Even Melanias’s holiday decorations, though somewhat less harsh than last time around, don’t smack of inviting. Some “Be Best” themed trees are decorated with bright blue butterflies. No menorahs are in sight anywhere. New York magazine described the vibe as, “Darth Vader surveys progress on the second Death Star.” 

Couple that with the far from quietly sophisticated décor that one used to see in the oval office, now overrun with over-the-top glitz and gold, ornate décor, gold figurines–even gold coasters and gold trim on crown moldings. The quiet subtle charm of the “people’s house” is long gone.

According to articles I’ve read recently, people who lack subtlety, class, and sophistication display some of the following behaviors. They constantly interrupt others. They are unkind to service staff. They gossip about others. They lack gratitude. They make fun of others. They brag loudly. And they treat people differently based on their status. Any of this sound familiar? 

 I find this current mindset extremely depressing. So, why is this happening? What’s going on with all this cruelty, coldness, and lack of discretion?

Sociologists claim that the lack of sophistication and kindness derives from intensified individualism, economic pressures, valuing achievements over character, political polarization, and the isolating effects of technology which lead to decreased empathy, and a focus on self-interest over community. There is also a fear of vulnerability which can lead to less compassion and more rudeness.

So, what can be done to curb some of these traits and replace them with more positive ones that lean towards kindness and empathy, gratitude, and respect, listening more than speaking, and valuing the differences in people?

Here are some suggestions from the experts.

Focus on cultivating intellectual depth—read widely on various subjects which encourages engaging in thoughtful conversations.

Refine your communication skills. After listening carefully, speak thoughtfully and articulately, rather than impulsively.

Pay attention to presentation. Focus on good grooming and appropriate attire for the occasion, rather than shocking and provocative choices of clothing. Maintain poise and a tasteful appearance. 

Develop cultural awareness. Study art, music, history, and customs of various cultures, which not only will make you a more interesting person but also help you navigate diverse social situations gracefully. 

Mind your manners and etiquette. Learn and practice social graces, demonstrate empathy and consideration for others. 

To promote kindness in our society, we can all focus on practicing active listening, offer thoughtful gestures, use courteous language, volunteer, and be generous with our time. 

I am heartened when I witness thoughtful people help elderly people cross the street, or carry their groceries, or do an errand for them. These acts of kindness make their days and give them rays of hope for meaningful days to come.

It’s sometimes difficult to set a good example and do the right thing when those at the top of the heap are anything but role models. But I believe it’s just such a time when the rest of us must rise up and become “better angels.” 

Let’s not forget that quiet sophistication is about understated elegance, finding strength in silence, and clarity through simplicity. The holiday season is a great time to reflect on these truths and renew our efforts to focus on kindness, empathy, and getting back to basics. 

Here are some quotes that promote those traits. 

“Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.”  Coco Chanel 

“Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom.” Francis Bacon

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci

Simplicity. Silence. Sophistication. Some things to think about. 

 

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Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, bicycling, and nature.