Love and Hope and Yin and Yang
It is January 21st, 2021. I am grateful, not because of yesterdays events, but because of the reaction from all of my friends, family, interns, mentees and that 22 year old poet, Amanda Gordon. I think this embodies best what I am feeling. At first you might mock this image or think, "get rid of the brick.". After all if the idea of the balloon is to fly, well why would you tie it down with a brick? I chose this specific configuration very carefully. Yes, ONE balloon accomplishes nothing, but hundreds of balloons working together can accomplish a lot and WILL lift that brick. One hundred bricks can make a wall.
Bigger tables, less walls
I also chose it because it better reflects our actual universe: Yin and Yang. There are scared and hurting people amongst us. They were not wrong, just unfinished. We need to help not hurt, empower not dominate. Unity comes when both of these elements work together to achieve good for all, not just the one or the other.Besides, the balloons and their power over the brick is the ENTIRE premise of the movie "UP" which is hands down, one of my favorite movies ever. Do NOT be fooled; it takes a lot of courage to love and stay hopeful. Fear just makes you complacent and cruel and does not encourage growth or change. We are better than that and we still have some work to do.[media-credit id=3 align="alignnone" width="450"]
I leave you with the opening and closing lines from Amanda Gordon's BREATHTAKING poem:
The Hill We Climb"When day comes we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade?"
"When day comes, we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it."