Life has been anxiety inducing lately and I’m finding that LOTR has been super helpful in reminding me of a few things: 1- this is not the first time that humanity has felt this way “so do all who live to see such times” and all that 2- we are not alone in this feeling and in this fight. There’s an exchange between Théoden and Gandalf on page 537 on the road to Isengard: “you should be glad, Théoden King, for not only the little life of men is now endangered, but the life also of those things which you have deemed the matter of legend. You are not without allies, even if you know them not.” 3- hope is always needed and always available. Again, I call on Gandalf when he first brings us to Théoden and speaks of hope.

Anyway, it’s been a constant theme I’ve been picking out throughout the series. The climate crisis wasn’t something wholly thought of when this was written, but there were similar worries back then that are translating extremely well to now.