Speaking of Spirit

Today, as we observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we were surprised by a call from the grandchildren. They wanted to ask us questions about what it was like to have lived during the same time as the Rev. Dr. King. I'll be honest, it was an emotional conversation for both Roger and me. Our perspectives were completely different since I was, in the 60's, a child in the projects of South Boston and Roger was a preacher's son in the South. Answering the children's questions not only reminded both of us of why we are, who we are today, but also brought us great hope. One of the most poignant questions came from our oldest granddaughter, who asked what we remembered of the day Rev. Dr. King was assassinated. I, very emotionally, told her that I remembered feeling like the Light had gone out in the entire world. However, I was also reminded of my mother telling me that the Light had simply passed to others to finish the work.  As a young activist, I dreamed of seeing what Mart...

  This year my word is "savor," which can be pondered and reflected on in so many ways that I feel I need a year to do justice to it. Right now, I plan to savor the times I have made memories with my beloved, my daughters, the grandchildren, and our friends. Taking time to look back at all the photos I have taken and remembering that particular time and place.  For instance, the photo above was captured at York's Wild Kingdom on a trip with my oldest daughter and her family couple of months before the birth of her third child. The day was hot but not too bad. We wandered through the park with the girls oh-ing and ah-ing over the different animals we saw. I remember talking to them about different animals - sharing what I knew and reading the signs put up by the park.  I also plan to savor possibilities for future adventures. In this case, the savoring takes the form of dreaming about where to go, when to go, who to see. We all need this because this pandemic has left us a...