When my sons were young, Prop. 13 passed affecting the amount of money available in the elementary schools.  We parents united to raise money selling hot dogs, creating a Halloween carnival, inspiring our children to walk twenty miles in a Walk-a-thon, selling books, and on and on.  I taught computers.  The money we raised paid for art, music teachers, and computers, and we met each other, worked together, and we had fun.

I’m reminded of that today as I reflect on how much those of us who gathered yesterday to connect and protect this threat to our democracy and way of life felt happy, inspired, connected, and safe within a basket woven of threads of awareness and care.  Our gathered energy will defeat those who paid one million dollars a piece for a meal anchored with speeches of greed and hate.

I’m with these words of W.S. Merwin today.

Little breath, 

Breathe me gently. 

Row me, 

for I am the river I’m learning to cross.