My partner: I'm reminded every day of how deeply I am loved
My family: currently training me to be all that I can be
My healing practice: being able to witness & participate in the healing of my clients
My church: it welcomes me, affirms and strengthens my faith, and moves and inspires me
My friends: I adore them! And cherish the time I spend with them
My faith: it evolves, it grows, it sustains me and it forgives me when I ignore it.
My new president: my son now lives in a world where he can decide he wants to be president when he grows up
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
We're Going to the White House!
There are times when President-Elect Obama seems like an Everyman. That's certainly who he's fighting for, who he wants to help (in the pretty little house with the white picket fence on Main Street). But every once in a while, in an interview, or in footage from a rally, he'll say something, something that sounds so normal. Especially African-American normal. That it makes me excited all over again that he won!!!
Look out, we're coming to the White House!
One example was in a rally when he said, "She's talking like she's Annie Oakley!"
In another rally, he said, "How many plumbers you know make $250,000 a year?"
And then, today, he did it again. I saw a couple of clips on the View from their interviews with Barbara Walters, and in one, they were talking about the First Puppy. What kind of dog will it be? Naturally, Barbara suggested they get one like her Cha Cha (short for Cha Cha Cha).
Obama speculated that it would be a "yappy" dog, yapping all over the place and that it seems kind of like a girly dog. Then, he said, gesturing, "we're gonna get a BIG dog...". And there was just something about what he said, the way he said it and the expression on his face that made me say once again, "Oh my god, we're going to the White House!".
Moving on up to the east side. To a deluxe apartment in the sky...
It feels like I'm going, too, in a way. Like there will be someone there I could have seen every couple of years at a family reunion.
It's hard to find the right words to express how wonderful that feels. But it feels pretty darn wonderful, let me tell you!
Look out, we're coming to the White House!
One example was in a rally when he said, "She's talking like she's Annie Oakley!"
In another rally, he said, "How many plumbers you know make $250,000 a year?"
And then, today, he did it again. I saw a couple of clips on the View from their interviews with Barbara Walters, and in one, they were talking about the First Puppy. What kind of dog will it be? Naturally, Barbara suggested they get one like her Cha Cha (short for Cha Cha Cha).
Obama speculated that it would be a "yappy" dog, yapping all over the place and that it seems kind of like a girly dog. Then, he said, gesturing, "we're gonna get a BIG dog...". And there was just something about what he said, the way he said it and the expression on his face that made me say once again, "Oh my god, we're going to the White House!".
Moving on up to the east side. To a deluxe apartment in the sky...
It feels like I'm going, too, in a way. Like there will be someone there I could have seen every couple of years at a family reunion.
It's hard to find the right words to express how wonderful that feels. But it feels pretty darn wonderful, let me tell you!
FL Ban on Gay Adoptions Ruled Unconstitutional
Posted on Tue, Nov. 25, 2008
Miami Herald
Florida ban on gay adoptions ruled unconstitutional
BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman Tuesday declared Florida's 50-year-old ban on gay adoptions unconstitutional -- a ruling state lawyers immediately said they would challenge.
The ruling sets the stage for Frank Gill, a gay man from North Miami, to adopt two foster children he has raised since 2004. In a 53-page ruling, Judge Lederman said, "It is clear that sexual orientation is not a predictor of a person's ability to parent."
Two lawyers from the Florida Attorney General's Office said they would file an appeal Tuesday. ''We respect the court's decision,'' said Assistant Attorney General Valerie Martin. "Based upon the wishes of our client, the Department of Children & Families, we will file an appeal.''
Gill, who is raising the half-brothers, ages 4 and 8, said he was ''elated'' by the ruling and "I cried tears of joy for the first time in my life.''
© 2008 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved. http://www.miamiherald.com/
~~found on http://www.megafamilyproject.org/
Miami Herald
Florida ban on gay adoptions ruled unconstitutional
BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman Tuesday declared Florida's 50-year-old ban on gay adoptions unconstitutional -- a ruling state lawyers immediately said they would challenge.
The ruling sets the stage for Frank Gill, a gay man from North Miami, to adopt two foster children he has raised since 2004. In a 53-page ruling, Judge Lederman said, "It is clear that sexual orientation is not a predictor of a person's ability to parent."
Two lawyers from the Florida Attorney General's Office said they would file an appeal Tuesday. ''We respect the court's decision,'' said Assistant Attorney General Valerie Martin. "Based upon the wishes of our client, the Department of Children & Families, we will file an appeal.''
Gill, who is raising the half-brothers, ages 4 and 8, said he was ''elated'' by the ruling and "I cried tears of joy for the first time in my life.''
© 2008 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved. http://www.miamiherald.com/
~~found on http://www.megafamilyproject.org/
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Letter from Alice Walker to Barack Obama
To Barack Obama from Alice Walker* *Nov. 5, 2008*
Dear Brother Obama, You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.
I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses an d furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.
I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.
A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world. We are the ones we have been waiting for.
In Peace and Joy, Alice Walker
Dear Brother Obama, You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.
I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses an d furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.
I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.
A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world. We are the ones we have been waiting for.
In Peace and Joy, Alice Walker
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Prop 8 & Other "Gay Couple" Results...
On the one hand, what a crappy blight on an otherwise wonderful election!
I am sorry for all the people who live in those states and for the rest of us who might wonder what's coming next to our states. But on the other hand, Barack Obama supports gay rights (at least up to and including civil unions) and I can only hope that things will shift during his presidency.
He supports civil unions (as McCain does) but not from the position of someone who is merely tolerant of gay relationships. He approves of them from what I can ascertain. So I am wondering what might be possible with a president who is an ally!
Hoping for positive change...
I am sorry for all the people who live in those states and for the rest of us who might wonder what's coming next to our states. But on the other hand, Barack Obama supports gay rights (at least up to and including civil unions) and I can only hope that things will shift during his presidency.
He supports civil unions (as McCain does) but not from the position of someone who is merely tolerant of gay relationships. He approves of them from what I can ascertain. So I am wondering what might be possible with a president who is an ally!
Hoping for positive change...
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Barack Obama: First African-American President
Barack Obama swept to victory as the nation's first black president Tuesday night in an electoral college landslide that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself. "Change has come," he told a jubilant hometown Chicago crowd estimated at nearly a quarter-million people.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Whole New World
Almost 40 years ago, my family and I moved into a suburban neighborhood with lots of other kids who were about my age. We all went to the same elementary school right there in that neighborhood and most of us formed friendships that continued all through high school.
As my friends and I grew up, we talked about leaving town, going to college, making our way in the world. We dreamed of who and what we'd become, sometimes, maybe even frequently, changing our minds. But not one of us, in my little circle of friends, ever said, "When I grow up, i want to be president of the United States."
In our world, we watched as the miniseries "Roots" changed the national conversation and eventually, made us seem less exotic, less strange, to the people who didn't know us.
Some of us, most of us, were alive but very young when Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed. We knew all about him and sang along with Stevie Wonder that there ought to be a day set aside just to celebrate him. And then there was. Martin Luther King Day became a national holiday.
Jesse Jackson decided that he wanted to be president and many of us rolled our eyes. "Keep hope alive, Jesse!" we said.
But now, in just a few short days, if my prayers are answered in the way I would like, the world will change again and my son, who is 7, will live in a world completely different from the one I grew up in. He will live in a world where he can say, "when I grow up, I want to be president of the United States," and instead of laughing, people will take him seriously.
In the past couple of months, I have felt very connected to a group of people all across the country who have voted or will vote on Tuesday. Some of them have never voted before and many of them usually don't vote but will vote this time. I have seen them in my head and felt them in my heart.
I have imagined them registering and making sure that all of their information is a perfect match. I've imagined them preparing to stand in long lines, hoping to participate in creating a miracle.
Hoping to vote not just on the issues they care about, but also hoping to help create a miracle. Hoping to create a change in the world that will make it obvious to their children, their nieces, their nephews and their grandchildren that if they want to, it might just be possible to be president when they grow up.
As my friends and I grew up, we talked about leaving town, going to college, making our way in the world. We dreamed of who and what we'd become, sometimes, maybe even frequently, changing our minds. But not one of us, in my little circle of friends, ever said, "When I grow up, i want to be president of the United States."
In our world, we watched as the miniseries "Roots" changed the national conversation and eventually, made us seem less exotic, less strange, to the people who didn't know us.
Some of us, most of us, were alive but very young when Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed. We knew all about him and sang along with Stevie Wonder that there ought to be a day set aside just to celebrate him. And then there was. Martin Luther King Day became a national holiday.
Jesse Jackson decided that he wanted to be president and many of us rolled our eyes. "Keep hope alive, Jesse!" we said.
But now, in just a few short days, if my prayers are answered in the way I would like, the world will change again and my son, who is 7, will live in a world completely different from the one I grew up in. He will live in a world where he can say, "when I grow up, I want to be president of the United States," and instead of laughing, people will take him seriously.
In the past couple of months, I have felt very connected to a group of people all across the country who have voted or will vote on Tuesday. Some of them have never voted before and many of them usually don't vote but will vote this time. I have seen them in my head and felt them in my heart.
I have imagined them registering and making sure that all of their information is a perfect match. I've imagined them preparing to stand in long lines, hoping to participate in creating a miracle.
Hoping to vote not just on the issues they care about, but also hoping to help create a miracle. Hoping to create a change in the world that will make it obvious to their children, their nieces, their nephews and their grandchildren that if they want to, it might just be possible to be president when they grow up.
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