Imagine the relief provided by the smallpox vaccine. I have friends, polio victims, who have devoted their lives to eradicating the disease. Kindergarten entry vaccines, college admission vaccines, international travel vaccines. Tetanus. Mumps. What advances, such advantages.
Read MoreYes! I present as exhibit A+ the ordinary, and therefore extraordinary, moments that revitalized my spirit.
Read MoreI appreciate my grandmother and father in a spanking new way. Neither talked about past hardship—they did what needed doing. How humbling, their sacrifices. What little I know of deprivation or terror. I must latch on to this worthy perspective. “Getting over myself” seems the least I can do. May empathy always triumph over ego.
Read MoreGood communication always eases dis-stress, and especially now. Trust in the rewards of listening and being heard, touching through the distancing. Don’t lose faith in our human sameness—revel in its proof. Closed in, we can nevertheless open up.
Read MoreAccept fear, anxiety, heartbreak, mood swings, and mind games as part of daily life. You are not alone. Nothing has proven more dramatically how interconnected we are—the planet and its inhabitants just one wool scarf, knitted together for warmth. All stitches must hold. Empathy cements those stitches.
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When Lucille Clifton asks, “won’t you celebrate with me,” we answer yes. What does this Black woman decide when she finds no model for how to create her life? “what did i see but to be myself?” she responds. The poet fastens her hands and makes her life of “starshine and clay.” What does a boy from the staunchly-segregated south long to do before he dies? Jimmy Carter casts his ballot for Kamala Harris. Won’t you celebrate the 39th president with me?