March
09
Out of the gloomy past
Sunday morning in church the closing hymn was “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” I love this hymn and have sung it countless times. But yesterday I looked around at all of the people of color in our church, several families of immigrants from Africa, one (that I know of) couple from Jamaica and many African-Americans who I’m guessing have former slaves in their family trees, as well as our own daughter of Chinese ancestry. I remembered the words of a biracial friend of mine once when we discussed race. “Racism ends when the person with the prejudice begins to really care about one person in the group being discriminated against. All it takes is one person to change that person’s heart.” So where do we start? Simply. How about one random act of kindness today for someone who is not of your race? It can be as simple as smiling and saying hello to a stranger you pass, buying a cup of coffee for the crossing guard at school, volunteering at a tutoring center, thanking the garbage man. One person’s heart for one moment. Today.
yes. it's my real name. 
Yesterday, while picking my car up at the mechanic, a mother sat waiting with a toddler in her arms, a daughter at her side doing cursive home work and the middle daughter to her other side. A song from the 60’s, something very up tempo wafted from the radio in the service bay. It was one of those songs that compels one to dance, movement detected in my peripheral vision. The middle child, a lovely little cocoa brown face with carefully plaited hair felt the need to dance too. So I turned to her and asked if I could dance with her. We shook our booties right there in the mechanics garage, her face was pure joy, I did a little frug, she laughed and her mother smiled. I thanked the girl for giving me a happy feeling. Her mom added that this one starts the day with a smile and a laugh and “ain’t a shy bone in her.” I will remember my dance with lovely girl, when the music moves you, move.
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Well Done!
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