We have a beautiful rainbow kite my uncle gave us years ago. A family hand-me-down, we carted it from Utah to Vermont and kept it in a handy spot in the closet, waiting for the perfect day. Sunday was sunny and cool and extra windy, and Jon and the girls finally broke it out.
Soaring gloriously in the sky above our backyard, it was an exhilarating sight to see — for the five or so minutes it was flying before Eliza let go of the handle and the kite soared even higher, lodging itself in all its glory like a banner from the top branches of a maple tree. It was irretrievable.
Sort of like our old reality.
Which is something I often feel sad and mournful about. But then weeks like this week happen and I realize, amidst all the terror and strife and trauma, perhaps real change is afoot. Perhaps this is the moment in our country’s history where people will say “Enough!” and finally, really, truly start to stand up to the insidious racism embedded so deeply in our culture and institutions (and, uh, president).
Perhaps all those blacked-out instagram feeds and shared resources and thoughts will inspire white people to truly donate to the right causes and look deeply, deeply within themselves for where they’re racist, too, and humbly ask themselves to change. And this will finally, finally cause some momentum in our collective attitude toward equality and embracing difference. Hope.
Anyway, the kite did in fact turn out to be retrievable when Jon, the best dad of all time, made some calls and got these kickass Asplund guys to come pull it down with their giant truck. I could not believe they were willing to make a trip to our dead-end dirt road in the middle of nowhere to grab a kite out of a tree midday on a Monday. But then again, maybe they were just waiting for an opportunity to do something helpful. I know I am!
Had I a giant truck with a big boom or whatever it’s called, I’d surely rescue kites from trees. Had I a lot of money, I’d donate it now to civil rights organizations around the country. Had I political clout, I’d use it to stand up to institutionalized racism in my country.**
But all I have is words. So on that note, I will leave you with my best advice today. It won’t apply to most of you, and it has nothing to do with the complex problems of our country and world, but I bet someone needs to hear this.
Before you ever bring home a bunch of frog eggs on a lark, ask yourself, what is my end game here? What am I going to do with 75 adult frogs?
What I’m reading:
Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race (a list of great resources for how to talk to kids of different ages about racism)
** How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change by Barack Obama on Medium. I miss my articulate, compassionate, intelligent, humanitarian, level-headed president. This is a man who can lead. He is currently doing a better job leading our country than the unmentionable one in office.
How Iceland Beat the Coronavirus on the New Yorker. Not really important, but I was amused that the writer is from Western Massachusetts (where I am from) and that the Icelandic neurologist said, and I quote, “Massachusetts is probably the most boring place on earth.” Ha! Fine, but is that bad?
What I’m eating:
Lilac ice cream
Rhubarb almond bars with 5 sticks of butter
Spring minestrone soup
What I’m working on:
A customer story from Box: Vistra Energy Bringing process efficiency into the energy business
“Had I a giant truck with a big boom or whatever it’s called, I’d surely rescue kites from trees. Had I a lot of money, I’d donate it now to civil rights organizations around the country. Had I political clout, I’d use it to stand up to institutionalized racism in my country.”
Sing it, Sister.
I really do miss Obama too, I wish he’d return to office, but I know he can’t. Hope & change is on the horizon, though.