Rhodo Bloom – Photo: L. Weikel
Beauty
The beauty of this rhododendron today begged to be shared. I can’t imagine any of us are immune to the horror we’ve all witnessed over the last several days. How awful is it that the Buffalo massacre on 14 May 2022 was followed merely one day later by two more shootings (in Houston, Texas and Laguna Woods, California). And the horror of yesterday’s massacre at an elementary school is more than many of us can take.
There’s a part of me that’s holding out hope that the outrageousness of so many recent assaults on our fundamental values of freedom, equality, and the sanctity of keeping our little kids alive and safe at school will galvanize us as a nation.
My skin crawls when I hear these talking heads of Authoritarianism chide and deride Democrats for ‘politicizing’ the gun issue when 21 people were just murdered in a 4th grade classroom. Or when I listen to them tell us all we need to do is ‘harden our schools’ to make them safe.
What utter bullshit.
Grief
I can only barely register the grief being felt by the families in Uvalde, Texas tonight. I say ‘tonight’ as if it will subside within a few days or weeks. Surely we all know in our hearts that their lives will never be the same. Just like the Sandy Hook parents. The families of Uvalde will live with this forever. But the thing is, so will we.
We’re all traumatized. We’re all reeling from the senselessness. We’re all horrified by the knowledge that our government is stocked with at least 50 Senators who place more value on lining their pockets and furthering their careers than they do on protecting their fellow citizens and constituents.
There’s the trauma. And there’s the grief.
Hope
I wanted to write tonight and lead with some beauty because we must not give up on each other – or ourselves.
Our country is falling apart at the seams. But we’re the ones who can and must mend it or create a new one.
Look at these photos and drink deeply of the beauty. Take heart. Gather your courage. We must act on behalf of all our babies.
Petal – Photo: L. Weikel
(T+133)