What do Donald Trump and Kate Spade have in common? They are both tragic (albeit in profoundly different ways), and have shocked us into realizing that maybe we already have it all. 

This president has made us relish what the Presidency could be and should be, regardless of ideology. The title carries meaning, history, and promise—not merely power. We never feel like we have it all with any president, but now we feel like we are losing everything. What has happened to our country under this presidency feels tragic.

Kate Spade, whose shocking and tragic death this week, seemed to have it all : a hugely successful business and brand that was for women who wanted to have it all. She had the markers of it all—marriage, child, business, great accessories….. Her public image concealed an excruciating illness, and her brand reflected upward mobility mixed with a retro look that nodded to the modern.  Her brand did not reflect her truth. 

I am sad for the Spade family.  And I am quite sad for us for being duped and succumbing to branding. I am sad that goodness isn’t enough. I am sad that it feels like those who understand that power is not the same as “having it all “are the ones who suffer and so often lose. 

The shock of this presidency is constantly jarring. The shock of Kate Spade’s tragic death (and internal life) awaken us to re-prioritize, to learn more, and to cultivate greater compassion.

Having it all sounds like perfection. There’s no such thing. 

There is wholeness—at least temporarily and with moving parts. Maybe that’s having it all, and why when we witness brokenness in a person, in a culture, in our government, it feels like a tragedy.