This morning I woke up to this email in response to yesterday’s post:
My second reaction was to share the story my friend told me last night over sweet potato tacos. On Saturday as she and her husband turned onto 14th and Constitution in front of the National Museum of African American History – pressed body to body, sign to sign – a man wearing a red “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” hat drove a motorized wheelchair at a diagonal through the crowd, in the direction opposite the marchers. They simply smiled and parted to let him pass, where he continued to press through the crowd, against the tide.
Free expression has its place. So do civility and kindness and respect.
I’d say more about this, but I just made a really beautiful zucchini frittata. I’ve got petitions to sign and phone calls to make and friends who build bonfires in their backyards and host sign-making dance parties in their living rooms, kids and dogs included.
LOVE, baby. That’s where it’s at.
Featured image: Make America Love Again patch from Pins Won’t Save the World, Sagmeister & Walsh
LEIGH HOPKINS 
http://m.dailykos.com/story/2015/7/30/1407166/-Catholic-Nun-Explains-Pro-Life-In-A-Way-That-May-Stun-The-Masses
“I do not believe that just because you’re opposed to abortion, that that makes you pro-life. In fact, I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking if all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed. And why would I think that you don’t? Because you don’t want any tax money to go there. That’s not pro-life. That’s pro-birth. We need a much broader conversation on what the morality of pro-life is.”
Dearest Leigh. You. I appreciate your courageous voice. The risk you take in speaking up. Of having the toxic energy of the ALL CAPS response aimed in your direction! Oh my goodness. Yes, civility, kindness and respect are all on the path to enhancing understanding where there is clearly no agreement. Yet, I also love the saying ‘You don’t have to attend every argument to which you are invited.’ So many invitations like the one you received are a practice in futility. So, much better to practice discernment and healthy boundaries. Breathe deeply. If nothing else it is a great opportunity to become unswayed in the presence of praise or criticism! But, in any event, you’ve got the right idea honey. Count your blessings, and ease on down that road. Enjoy your frittata and shake off any latent CAPITAL LETTERS clinging to your heart with a nice little dance party. I leave you with the words of a mutual friend, “Go forth, then, rejoicing in the power and peace of the One Infinite Creator.” 😉
It’s times like these that I wish we could create some sort of bohemian solar-powered space-pod and just..well, you know….but there’s more to be done here, isn’t there? In the meantime, I’m shakin’ it, and I know you are, too. Thank you for doing your part. “Go forth in power and peace!” 😉
Thank you for bravely sharing your light and being you. My hope is that eventually all of the people who are focused on hate and fear will see those of us who are living our lives in LOVE, wanting to help and support others, and build people up, and ask themselves, “Okay, what are they doing, and why are they so happy? How can I have that too?” Then hopefully they will realize we are all one, and love is truly the answer (but living out of love doesn’t mean that we just sit by and passively watch injustices happening either).
Anyway, I’m not sure if you read the replies, but I just wanted to say that I see your light, and thank you for shining brightly.
Light, love, and peace 💖
Thank you, Amanda! At the end of the day, the only thing that any of us can control is our own actions. I think many of us are trying to figure out what that means right now, how to “live out of love” (as you mentioned) while address injustices when we see them happening in some meaningful way. Where’s the balance? I don’t know, but I do know that hearing from super-sparklers like you has to help. I KNOW it does.
Light, love and peace backatcha!