STORIES IN THE SAND

 A morning walk along the beach has some lovely consequences…I

t is the best way I can think of to wake up all the senses.

With your first step you feel the coolness of a breeze against your face and the sand between your toes…you look around and realize Mother Earth is already putting on a show.

Immediately upon entering you are put under nature’s spell…looking at all the impressions in the sand with all the stories they can tell.

If you happen to arrive early enough…ahead of the inevitable crowds…

you hear the rhythm of the waves and gaze out to where the water meets the clouds.

The clouds…as clouds are wont to do are constantly changing shapes and sizes…

and begin to catch the colors of the sun as, from the east, she rises.

You pause a moment to enjoy the aroma of the ocean…and it sets your senses free…

as you look around and all you see is sky and sand and sea.

While on your walk you begin to see other people…on any given day…

you smile and quickly greet each other as you pass along the way.

Fishermen, people jogging, families out for a day of fun…

people swimming, babies in strollers…a grandpa and grandson.

You see boats upon the horizon, watch and listen as egrets and pelicans soar…

you pass the remains of a crumbling sandcastle built the day before.

When your walk is over…you decide to go in for a cool refreshing dip….

and when you bring your head out of the water you can taste the salt upon your lips.

You might remark at how the water is still cool…even in the last days of July…

then you go out, sit under your umbrella and read a book until you’re dry.

When it’s time to go, you pack up…you take one last look around…and you smile

glad to have spent some time here…even for for a little while…

As you head out you pass more people who are just now heading in…

Your time on the beach is over…there’s is about to begin…

You look back once you pass them…smile because you understand….

They’re about to add their own impressions….their own stories to the sand.

TIME

 As we grow older time tends to slow down causing us to smile…oftentimes to sigh 

when we realize how so much our life has gone by…in the blink of an eye.

In the blink of an eye I was born…in the blink of an eye I was walking…

In the blink of an eye I was laughing…in the blink of an eye I was talking.

In the blink of an eye I was off to school…where my imagination was created…

In the blink of an eye I was driving a car…in the blink of an eye…I graduated.

In the blink of an eye I was married…had a job…in the blink of an eye I was grown…

in the blin of an eye (make that two blinks) we had two children of our own.

In the blink of an eye our children were crawling…in the blink of an eye they were walking…

in the blink of an eye they were laughing…in the blink of an eye they were talking.

In the blink of an eye there was a divorce…a remarriage and another child, in the blink of an eye, makes three…

in the blink of an eye our of two awkward groups grew one blended family.

In the blink of an eye our children were grown with families and lives of their own…

in the blin of an eye our once full house was empty…

in the blink of an eye Deborah and I were alone.

In the blink of an eye we had grandchildren…in the blink of an eye they were crawling…in the blink of an eye they were walking…in the blink of an eye they were talking.

I think you know where this is going…feel free to amongst yourselves discuss…

for in the blink of an eye those grandchildren we once held in our arms 

were bigger and taller than us.

Which is why, I suppose, as we grow older when we look back at our lives we smile…we cry…and oftentimes we sigh…

remembering all those wonderful moments in our life…

that passed by…in the blink of an eye.

THE CHANGING FACE OD DREAMS

 Sometimes I think where we end up in life…how high we go…how far…

can be symbolized not only by the family tree…but by the family car.

For me it started with my parents driving our family station wagon…it’s interior painted black….Where my initial dreams were fashioned…while riding in the back.

My first dreams consisted of a more egocentric point of view…

dreams made just for me…I hoped one day would come true.

Then one day my dreams became less conceptual….less fantasy…more real…

The day I went from riding in the back and got behind the wheel.

By now I was married driving a mini-van…with an interior painted black…

Wondering what my children were dreaming about while riding in the back.

I remember the moment they were born…how I closed my and wished they’d have a happy and healthy life…free from danger…free from heartache…free from sadness…free from strife.

And how I began to drive more carefully keeping my wife and children in my rearview…

my dreams now much more focused on helping their dreams to come true.

And from a place in the back of my heart and mind…a place no one else could see…

I dreamed of the life my children would be living and the people they would be.

Having much more driving experience…I knew what was best for them…at least that’s what I believed…until they got behind the wheel and my vision was replaced by the vision they conceived.

And I gladly shed my dreams for theirs…they transformed quite easily…because, looking back, that is exactly what my parents did for me.

I realized, as my parents realized, the dangers and sadness of life I can’t keep them from averting…and the best I can do when they’re sad is to stand beside them while they’re hurting.

As they continue driving…on their journey…as their own dreams they pursue…

I am happy to sit back, smile…realizing my original dream has come true.

That even though I can’t protect them form heartache, sadness and strife…

our children have been able to live a healthy and happy life.

For they know on whatever path their dreams may take them….

whenever the road ahead is painted black…

If they look in their rear view mirror 

they’ll see me riding in the back.

BUTTERFLIES JUST KNOW

It happened long ago and yet the memory lingers…the day a butterfly stopped to rest upon their daughter’s finger.

Somehow that butterfly sensed landing on that finger extended out…it was the perfect place to take a break…and she had nothing to worry about.

They have often wondered what made this butterfly decide, once their daughter’s finger she inspected…that in their daughter’s care she’d be safe…she’d be protected.

Was it the gentleness of their daughter’s touch or the smile upon her face that led that butterfly to believe there was no danger in that space?

That butterfly who, as everybody knows, was an insect fluttering wild…could she have somehow sensed the acceptance and the innocence in the child?

Is it possible she landed upon their daughter’s finger knowing she wouldn’t be caught?

Which made them wonder at the time if butterflies are more perceptive than they thought.

As they watched their daughter…from that innocent child grow…butterflies kept landing on her…because, they imagined, butterflies somehow know.

Perhaps butterflies possess an innate talent…one nature has always known…the ability to sense the kindness, the acceptance, the safety and the innocence…even when the child’s grown.

Which leads a person to wonder…

if the best way to choose our politicians…

would be to make everyone of them stand…

inside a butterfly garden 

and see upon which ones the butterflies land.

 

THE BEST LAID PLANS...

 THE BEST LAID PLANS…

When I was young…growing up…still a boy…not yet a man

when thinking about my destiny…I had some awesome plans.

I knew early in my life what was in store for me…

I knew what I was going to do…I knew who I wanted to be.

I wanted to be a post office clerk…like my dad…although he didn’t make a lot of money and sometimes times were rough…He loved his job and he’d always smile and say…

I think we have enough. 

But I soon turned why hopes to baseball…where I was going to be a star…

until I realized I had trouble catching…and I couldn’t hit a baseball very far.

Next I wanted to be a football star…people would have my name embroidered on their shirt…until I realized I was much too small…and how getting tackled hurt!

So I thought…I’d like to be an astronaut…where I’d soar up among the stars…

until I realized my stomach ached…just riding in the car.

Next I turned my attention to politics I wanted to be President…in charge of all the masses…until I realized there are some days…I can’t even find my glasses.

So I chose instead to be a teacher, a husband and a father…where I didn’t make a lot of money and where sometimes times were rough…but I loved my job and I was always able to smile and say…I think we have enough.

Who knew when I was growing up…with all the different plans I had…I would end up living a life that was closer to my dad’s. 

But those choices led to being a grandfather…perhaps the easiest job of all…

where I didn’t have to to be coordinated…or rich…or intelligent…or tall.

In fact…from the minute I became a husband, a father, a grandfather…the moment our lives intertwined…all I had to be in their eyes…was loving, compassionate and kind…

So there you have it…in a nutshell…this is who I came to be…

and I’ve often wondered…did I choose this life…or has this life chosen me?

Either way…I’m happy…

for my life has indeed been quite amazing 

and wonderfully grand…

I guess when I stop to think about it…

it has gone…exactly as I planned.

IMAGINE THAT

 I love how I was created with the ability to imagine...alone or in a crowd...

I can imagine whales that fly, trees that talk, visiting castles in the clouds.

From anywhere I am at any moment…wherever I happen to be…

I can imagine I’m a bird soaring across the sky…or a pirate on the sea.

I can imagine I’m standing in a snowstorm…in Florida…in June…

I can imagine I’m jumping from star to star…or sitting on the moon.

I can imagine I’m in a Fairy Tale…riding atop my loyal steed wielding my trusty blade…in a world with damsels to be rescued…and dragons to be slayed.

I can imagine a world at peace…where everyone treats everyone the same…

where acceptance is the norm…and love lights every flame.

How blessed to have an imagination…an imagination created just for me…

with an unlimited number of places I can go…and wonders I can see. 

I am grounded in reality…of this I’ll never lose sight…

but having an imagination allows my fantasies to take flight.

Fantasy and reality…created in me to be forever inexplicably tied…

And I, for one, am glad they live in harmony side-by-side.

Of all the things I can imagine…

like a world where eating ice cream every day won’t make you fat…

a world where people have no imagination….

No…I just can't imagine that.

THINGS I STILL DO NOT KNOW

 One reason I love to walk in the silence of the morning…with the stars and moon aglow…is how it reminds me, every day, of all the things I do not know.

Our world is filled with a diversity of wonders…in all kinds and shapes and sizes…

not knowing all there is to know means I’m always in for some surprises.

I do not know why there is a moon and stars…I don’t know how they came to be…

and every morning I’m surprised they choose to shine their light on me.

I do not know the name of every flower…every tree…never had the need…

so I am constantly surprised at the beauty of everything created from a seed.

I do not know why the sun rises to begin the day and sets when the day is done…

I only know I’m constantly surprised by the beauty of each one.

I can only name a few birds in all the birds I ever see…

so every bird is like a work of art…and is beautiful to me.

I do not know one bird’s song from the next in the early morning symphony I hear…

so every song from every bird is music to my ears. 

I know where babies come from but I’m a little fuzzy on the why…so I’m constantly surprised and amazed when a baby goes strolling by.

I do not know why I’m stuck on the ground while other creatures soar…

I do not know why I walk on two legs while others walk on four.

I do not know how all this was created…when…by what…or who…

and as I take a walk each morning…I kind of hope I never do.

Because as I walk and look and listen as nature puts on her show…

I am thankful every morning for all the things I do not know.

For my daily reminder that if I walk through life with open and innocent eyes…

every step is filled with wonder…

every moment…a surprise.

UNDER A CHILD'S SPELL

 UNDER A CHILD’S SPELL

Our friend Michelle brought her two grandchildren to visit Deborah and me…

they brought with them two beautiful smiles…

They live up north but to Michelle’s delight…they are staying with her for a while…

Two weeks with two grandchildren is a wonderful treat…

All the joy and love they are gaining…

But after a few days…although the joy and love were still going strong…

Michelle’s energy was waning.

For you see young grandchildren do not run out of energy…

In fact somehow their energies strengthen when combined….

And as they ran up the driveway and into our house…Michelle dragged in behind.

But we were ready for their mischief…their playfulness…and their mayhem…

for now there would be three of us…and only two of them.

They played with Bella, the dog we are watching….

Our house they immediately adorned…with beauty, with innocence with vitality…

Why they even made me into a unicorn.

Later they made Michelle into a unicorn as well…the things we’ll do when under a child’s spell…and even though Michelle obviously wore it better…I like to think I wore it well.

We did things we used to do with our grandchildren…memories we still hold dear….

Together we performed a few magic tricks…I even made one of them disappear.

But our energy level was subsiding…while theirs seemed every minute to renew…

So we invited Alexa, our neighbor over…Making the odds now 4 to 2.

It was a wonderful visit…playing with young grandchildren again

watching all our lives overlap…

and when they left we did what old people do…we put ourselves down for a nap.

Not before reliving our few moments together…before nodding off to sleep…moments making memories…memories we shall forever keep….

Thanking Michelle for the opportunity….for sharing her grandchildren…

feeling blessed…

and wondering if in the next two weeks…

Michelle will ever get to rest.

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SATURDAY MORNING

 Every Saturday morning always begins the same for me…standing in the kitchen I’m flooded with memories.

When our children were little…and whenever grandchildren came our way…Saturday morning at our house was always pancake day.

Saturday morning was when my creativity and artistic talent was thoroughly tested…as I’d make pancakes in any shape and color our children or grandchildren requested.

Some of my creations were more Impressionistic…others were a little less than breathtaking…but I’m proud to say no request was ever rejected in all my years of pancake making.

I like to think that, every now and then, on a Saturday morning our children and grandchildren think of me…and think about the branch we grew upon our family tree.

And how that branch connects to all the other branches…back through the annals of time…helping to make our tree strong and transcendent…noble and sublime.

I hope they’ve learned this lesson…deeply rooted in our family tree…

that an adventure is exactly what a family is supposed to be!

And how a family, again like my pancakes, on this my children and grandchildren would agree…is never flawless…never perfect…but…they don’t have to be.

You see, no pancake I created was ever perfect…but they did have a kind of flair…and as long as they resembled the request…our children and grandchildren didn’t care. 

Because when it comes to family, just like those pancakes made every Saturday morning throughout their childhood….

It’s the time spent together in their creation…

that makes them taste so good…

FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT

 

He smiled as they placed his new granddaughter in his arms and gently cradled her near…and as they rocked together in the chair…he whispered softly in her ear…

I know I am much older…having been born a long, long time ago but I’m going to tell you some things I’ve learned…I hope you’ll remember them as you grow.

Life is to be lived…always do what, in your heart, you know is right.

Don’t worry about coloring within the lines…go outside…fly a kite.

Believe in yourself when others don’t…ride in a boat upon the sea…

Stop often to count the stars at night…and whenever you can…climb a tree.

Swing on a swing, slide down a slide…run…for no reason at all.

Embrace the cold in winter, the warmth of summer, the birth of Spring…and the changing leaves in Fall.

Eat a lot of ice cream… don’t forget to hug…and kiss…and share….

Never knowingly hurt another creature….remember…sometimes…it’s okay to swear.

Travel to new and exotic places…learn to ride a bicycle with no hands.

Never be in hurry to grow up…smile as often as you can.

Remember true beauty comes from within you…never be afraid to take a chance…

sing whenever you feel like it… feel free to cry and laugh and dance. 

It’s easy to love life when everything is bright…but try to love it when all seems black

because you’ll find the more you love with all your heart…the more the world will love you back.

You’ll find love is what binds us all together…in everything we say and do…

And those times when you think things are falling apart remember…love will be your glue.

Do the best you can in all you do…If you make a mistake…don’t fret.

Watch the sunrise in the morning…and in the evening watch it set.

Be happy with who you are…be creative…never silence your imagination…

Remember you are one-of-a-kind…unique…

there’s no one else like you in all of creation…

These thoughts will get you started…but I’m sure once you are grown…

the person you become…will have opinions of your own.

And perhaps one day they’ll place your granddaughter in your arms

and as you gently cradle her near…

you’ll have things you‘ve have learned throughout your life

you’d like to whisper in their ear

CHRISSY

 I believe in synchronicity and the wonders therein contained…

I believe in angels and miracles and the mystery of the unexplained.

Chrissy was a friend of our daughter…growing up their friendship was like glue…

I remember in high school they dyed their hair school colors…Ali orange…and Chrissy blue.

I remember one summer she came with us to North Carolina…that’s what good friends do…and in moments when we stop to think about her…Chrissy was our friend too.

It’s been a number of years since she left us shocked and mystified…since our good friend Chrissy…committed suicide.

Her life was filled with sadness…so much agony and strife…and, one day, when no one was looking…she ended her short life. 

Chrissy was young and funny and beautiful…at least on the outside for all to see…she was thoughtful and creative…she even wrote poetry.

But inside Chrissy was a troubled soul who lived in darkness and couldn’t always see the light…this morning I was thinking about how I miss her smile and all those poems she’ll never write.

How we all wish Chrissy had understood…she had friends and family nearby…

who were willing to do anything to help…who weren’t ready to say goodbye. 

On my walk I wondered how she’s doing…hoping she is happy and feeling fine…and I appealed to the Other Side saying, “Chrissy, if you’re happy…please…give me a sign.”

Just something to let me know you’re not sad and lonely anymore…

and then I saw it…a five dollar bill on the ground in front of my bookstore!

I picked it up, said “Thank you, Chrissy. I’m glade you’re well, my friend…and in my pocket I placed the five dollar bill…I never intend to spend.

Was finding that five dollars just a coincidence…or was it as synchronistic as it seems?

Was it a way for Chrissy to tell me she is safe and no longer hounded by her dreams?

Was it just a random five dollar bill dropped from someone’s pocket…or a sign sent from Chrissy down to me?   You can draw your own conclusions…but I vote for synchronicity.

And I implore anyone who is depressed today…to remember you have friends and family near by…willing to help in any way they can…who are not ready to say goodbye.

988…IS THE SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE:  HELP IS AVAILABLE

I SHARED MY BED WITH A DOG

 I SHARED MY BED WITH A DOG

I shared my bed with a dog last night…her name is Juniper…

There is a very logical reason I shared my bed with her.

Juniper is our youngest son Ryan and his fiancé’s dog…a source of their pride and joy…who can chase a ball for hours…who still plays with doggie toys.

Who even though she’s a full grown dog still has a lot of puppy in her.

Who in the morning loves to eat her breakfast…and lets you know when it’s time for dinner

When Amy’s 96 year old grandmother passed away after a long and wonderful life…which to the family was still too brief…we asked Amy if there was anything we could do to help to assuage her grief.

Of course love and support are all we can offer…each person deals with grief in their own way…but she asked if we’d watch Juniper while she and Ryan were away.

We said of course…we’d be happy for Juniper to come for an overnight stay

So the next morning they dropped her off…thanked us and then went on their way

When they left we we made sure not to make a ruckus, not to cause a commotion or too much of a fuss…Realizing although we both knew who Juni was…she really didn’t know us.

She must have been wondering…the two people she loves…where in the world did they go….and why did they leave me in this strange house with two people I don’t know.

She kept looking at the door…every time it opened a crack…

Hoping, I imagine, for Ryan and Amy to come back.

So to help her cope with the situation….to accept her confusing paradigm….

we let her snack a little more than normal…and threw her ball a thousand times.

We did the best we could to let her know everything would be all right…

One of us stayed home at all times…so she could keep us in her sight.

We gave her love, we exercised her, we kept her safe and warm and fed…

but she was still a little nervous when it came time for to bed.

So after a small discussion Deborah and I agreed

That I’d sleep in the spare bedroom and take Juniper with me.

I think Juni understood…as she matched me stride for stride…

and before I even invited her up…she was sleeping by my side.

I think sometimes we forget how our pets can be affected by a family tragedy…

Which is why I shared my bed with Juniper last night…

and why we both slept so peacefully

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SQUIRREL VS MAN

Deborah thinks I’m paranoid but let me give my theory a whirl

I believe we must be very weary of our little friend the squirrel.

Here’s an example: when Deborah and I walk in the morning there’s a squirrel in every tree…and I can’t help but get the feeling that they’re all watching me.

Oh, when I look at them they pretend to play…they run and jump without a care or fear

but I know…they know…I know they’re not as innocent as they appear.

And don’t get me started on the bird feeder…it’s where squirrels have the gall

to devise elaborate plans for reaching the food…so they can have it all!

I’ve even seen them work in tandem, one distracts me, I give chase

while the other climbs into the bird feeder and quickly feeds his face.

When I scare the one out of the feeder…as he runs away I give chase

while in the feeder…the other squirrel…is filling up his face.

They hang from the roof, they jump from the trees…somehow they always find…

a way to circumvent any defensive strategy I have designed.

It wouldn’t be so bad but, you see, squirrel’s don’t share their theft…

they will sit in that bird feeder eating…until there are no seeds left. 

I used to believe since I am bigger than they are…I must be smarter too…

but over time I’ve come to realize…only one of those is true.

One final statistic. Did you know when all the counting’s done

It seems that squirrels outnumber humans…by a score of 3 to 1.

So tell me…am I being paranoid or am I the only one whose wise?

Am I as crazy as Deborah thinks…or are squirrels planning my demise?

As you make your judgement think of all the squirrels that frequent your life too

and remember it’s not paranoia….if it actually is true. 

MONSTERS

 MONSTERS

When we are young if we are lucky our parents and family form the team who keep us warm and safe and help fulfill our dreams.

They’re around us every day to help alleviate our dread.

They are the ones who when we’re nervous…check for monsters neath our beds.

But as we grow we realize our views on monsters must be readjusted 

as it sometimes becomes unclear just who should and should not be trusted.

For we find in our once innocent world there does indeed exist

people who want to harm us…that there are monsters in our midst.

What makes these monsters dangerous is they can be anyone we see.

There’s no way to tell the difference between them, or you or me.

They can even be our neighbor, or God forbid, a friend.

and we can never fathom the wickedness…the horrors they intend.

They comes in all shapes and sizes…some wear smiles…other’s carry guns

We may not even know they’re monsters until their gruesome deed is done.

I wish there were no monsters to cause so much unrest

I wish there was an easy way to tell one monster from the rest

I wish the monsters in this world could easily be dismissed

and more than ever I wish there were no monsters in our midst.

I wish it were still easy – that we were all part of the same team

that help keep one another safe and fulfill each other’s dreams.

I wish we lived in a world where no one would cause us dread

and all our monsters we ever faced

would stay hidden neath our beds.

RABBIT IN THE CLOUDS

 Three mornings in a row on my walk who should I happen to meet…but a solitary rabbit…the same rabbit…sitting in the middle of the street.

The first two mornings I tiptoed by…not wanting his solitude to betray…and was somewhat surprised when he didn’t move…when he didn’t hop away.

The third morning I said “Hello Mr. Rabbit.” (I used mister because manners I do not lack)…and was even more surprised when he said, “Hello” back.

I immediately stopped in the middle of that street…in the middle of my walk…

and told him, “in all my years upon this Earth I never knew a rabbit who could talk.”

“There are two main differences between rabbits and humans.” He said smiling. 

“The first is rabbits never have a bad hair day…

and the second is we rabbits talk only when we have something important to say.”

“So what has brought you out hese last three mornings…it has been three mornings I believe.”  

“Three days ago.” The rabbit said, “I lost a friend and I’ve come out to grieve.”

“Rabbits believe since we are creatures of the Earth we go back to the Earth when we die…and we believe our spirit, once it leaves us, becomes a cloud up in the sky.”

“So we try to find a quiet place…far from the maddening crowds…

to say goodbye to one we loved as we search for them in the clouds.”

“And did you find him” I asked and the rabbit smiled…there was a twinkle in his eye…

When I looked up sure enough there was a rabbit cloud in the sky.”

Gently floating with the other clouds in the morning just before dawn…

I smiled but when I returned my gaze to the rabbit…the rabbit…he was gone.

I hope I’ll see him again someday on my walk…when he has something important to say…

Until then I’ll search the morning sky for rabbit clouds…

it’s a wonderful way to start my day

THE OTHER SIDE OF GRIEF

 When we experience grief…which we all will…someday

when we think about our loss…when we stop to pray

may however we choose to pray…whatever words…whatever prayer

be carried upon the wings of eagles high into the air…

may they soar into the clouds…high beyond the sky so blue

and fall softly on whatever great spirit you happen to be praying to.

May we be blessed to embrace this Native Americans belief

of how there will always be another side of grief.

the side where our love never softens

where our tears of sadness still flow…just not as often…

where…when we visit our memories…after a while

they still bring a bit of sadness but also a few more smiles.

The side where we once again look forward to tomorrow….

where joy and peace are present…with just a hint of sorrow.

IT'S JUST A...

 If you walk around our house…and I say this candidly…you probably wouldn’t give a second thought to some of the things you see.

You’d probably miss that piece of wood in the corner…if you walk by a little to quick…

and even if you noticed it you might think…”it’s just a stick.”

In the corner of our kitchen…that piece of furniture…over there…chances are you’d pass by thinking…”it is just a chair.”

Your eyes might find the pen and ink drawing…if they find it at all…

and even if they do you might think…it’s just another picture on the wall.”

If you happen into our laundry room…you might give that weathered old collar a look…

chances are you’d say, “It’s just an old collar”…hanging on that hook.

And you’d be correct in your assumptions for how often we see things as we find them…but the meaning is not in what we see… but in what we see behind them.

That old collar was our dog Whitman’s who would match me stride for stride…

as we walked together every morning…until the day he died.

My father drew that self-portrait when he was a young man…I think around 22

It’s a nice remembrance of the man…now that his life is through.

Deborah’s father made that little chair and it rests in our corner because…

It serves as a constant reminder of the kind of man he was.

And that was Deborah’s mom’s walking stick in the corner for all to see…carved by Deborah’s dad from the branch of an old orange tree.

But it is more than a decoration…it’s not just there for idle talk.

It reminds Deborah of her mom every morning…when we take our walk.

It’s funny isn’t it…the things we might not even notice when we walk through someone’s door…

We might see just a stick, a chair, a drawing, a strap…

when they are really so much more. 

A LOVING CHOICE

 June 12th came and went yesterday…I imagine to most people it was just another date.

But like birthdays, anniversaries and holidays it’s a day we should all celebrate.

This day’s history began in Virginia with Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving who fell in love and thought it would be great to marry and spend their life together…but this was 1958.

Back then it was against the law in Virginia for them to marry…Yes, Virginia law said they didn’t have the right…because Mildred…well she was black…and Richard…he was white.

So they got married in Washington D.C…you see…it was legal over there…but when they returned to Virginia they were arrested…and knowing it wasn’t fair…

they pleaded their case to a judge in Virginia…alas…to no avail…the judge found them guilty and sentenced them to spend the next three years in jail.

But the judge did give them a choice…which wan’t as just as it appears…they could serve their three years in jail…or leave Virginia for 25 years.

Given the choice of imprisonment or banishment it wasn’t hard to see why Mildred and Richard decided to stay married…and moved to Washington D. C.

Although they were legally married in Washington D. C…legally husband and wife…they missed their families, faced discrimination and wanted a better life.

So Mildred wrote a letter explaining their predicament…their particular point of view…and sent it off to Bobby Kennedy (our Attorney General) who gave it to the ACLU.

The ACLU decided to take up the Loving’s cause and lend the Loving’s their voice…for they believed, as many still do, who we marry and where we live should be every American’s choice.

After a nine year struggle through the courts Mildred and Richard finally had a victory to savor when on June 12, 1967 every Supreme Court Justice decided in their favor.

Which is why June 12th every year I find it appropriate to say…with Mildred and Richard in my heart…Happy Loving Day.

Happy Loving Day…it has such a nice ring to it…let me say it again…Happy Loving Day…the day our Supreme Court decided all Americans can be married…

unless…of course…you were gay.

That day would come on June 26th…it would have been nice if there were only two weeks in between…but the Supreme Court didn’t make that decision…until 2015!

In light of recent decisions…it is more important than ever we celebrate every day as Loving Day…and ensure that this Supreme Court doesn’t take these choices away.