L'aventure américaine

My brother wrote to me and told me that he read the articles and he donated money, so I guess that there was a small measure of success.  He also said that I shouldn't withhold pictures of my kids - and it is hard not to share their peccadillos and just how cute they are. So, I'll restart by sharing a picture of the project that we completed a couple of weeks ago with our neighbor.  Steve (our neighbor) designed the sign and built it out of wood.  Milo and I painted the background and then Steve filled in the letters.  It was a good way to launch the discussion of Black lives and why they matter and even though I felt like I stumbled over it, I guess that it was good to start. I continue to try to figure out what to do, so I'm going to keep reading and learning as much as I can and just try to stay uncomfortable with race so that I can continue to learn how to do better. And I guess I'll continue to share pictures of my kids, because they're good for the world too.

It hasn't felt right to post pictures this week of my happy, privileged life.  The world needs joy and laughter and peace and love, but...   But, if I only focus on my little corner of the world and the joy and beauty that exists there, I am not doing my part.  I can't open my eyes widely enough to see all of the injustice in the world and my heart could not take it if I could.  And I know that I will become calloused to this and there will be another news cycle that doesn't address systemic racism and doesn't bring up such a visceral reaction and doesn't present me with irrefutable examples of unfair violence.  I might not remember to reach out to my friends of color or my friends with children of color to ask them if they're okay and to acknowledge the gaslighting or the slights or the way that they always have to present themselves to be non-threatening.  I might start to forget. I hope that I don't.  What a privilege it is to be able to forget...