Saturna

i am completely humbled to be a part of this moment in history.

my mother raised me here in memphis, telling me all about how wrong it felt to her that African Americans could only go to the Zoo on tuesdays. and telling me about getting in trouble with the nuns at school because she argued that the Muslim friend of hers from down the street could not possibly be going to hell.

my mother raised me with a staunch sense of human rights - so much so that i took it even further and have to call her out on things sometimes. (you did a good job, mom!.)

the other night as Obama was projected the winner, my mom called and i completely broke down, cried gut-wrenching sobs for nearly an hour. to see this happen, to have helped make this happen, and for my mother to still be alive and sharing it with me, is truly a moment of a lifetime.

in the days since, one thing i have run across truly hits in a place deep down that i hope we all can continue to access and work with, bringing long-lasting progress to this world. here it is:

From 52 to 48 with Love

i know that there are many who are scared of what an Obama presidency means, and for all different reasons. i believe the most important thing is to reach out, as you would to a crying child, provide comfort, love, and understanding - and then join hands and together work to change things. here's my hand, let's do it!

keating economics

i do not really get into my politics on this site because i figure it is pretty self-evident. i will be voting for Obama, and this has never been a question. i still do my research, but i had not seen this yet, only read much more concise explanations.

isaac and i were once again in the car having funny conversation today. the big topic was Halloween this evening. he wants to be a scarecrow and a ghost. he asked me what i am going to be for Halloween and i told him i plan to be a disco dancer.

(because i found this awesome leisure suit recently and that takes care of it.)

he says, "but moooOOOooom! you already ARE a disco dancer, you can't do that!"

that little creature is hilarious, and spot-on.

he suggests "Scream-dude," but we will not be having that drama again this year.

this morning i was brushing jah isaac's teeth (which i do myself every couple of days, to make sure he is well-brushed) and noticed that he has a loose tooth!

wow, everyday it seems that something happens which indicates how big he is getting.

he asked if he and his school friends can "wiggle it" today and i asked him to please not let people put their hands in his mouth, and to let it fall out naturally.

looks like we will be having a visit from the tooth fairy soon!

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

...which really means - i surrender to the fact that i can only control myself. i cannot control how others treat me. but i can control my reaction, my boundaries, and my attitude. i hope that i can have the compassion to deal with others from a place of peace and kindness, and also to calmly protect myself when needed, knowing deep within that i have freedom and peace.