Marking Time~

I can't help but think about the number of people talking about this historic time in our nation. Forty years after the riots of '68, we elected the first African American for President. All across the country conversations have been happening, from small living rooms to subway cars to street corners to work offices about "this time" becoming "our time". Instead of fear, war, and division, we have spent the last few months talking about hope and possibility. We once again believe in our democracy, our youth, and our dreams. We can look at anyone in this country and say, "this could be you someday" and really mean it.

Whether you voted for Obama or not, there is no denying the enormity of this election. We get to talk about this time period in our history. In a way, it is about marking time. We mark time in so many ways. For many, marking time often means the birth of a child, the death of a parent, the offer of a new job, the purchase of a home, or perhaps an anniversary of our wedding day. We look to the past to mark time. Like divots in the road, these big moments make us pause and reflect.

For about 40 years we have been marking time in our country by noting tragic events. People will ask where you were when JFK was shot, when Martin Luther King Jr. was killed for promoting civil rights, when Bobby Kennedy was assassinated, up to the present time of remembering where you were when the towers came down on 9/11. We now get to ask, where were you when you heard that Obama was elected president? We get to mark time in a whole new way.

There is a saying that we learn from memory (the past) or from inspiration. In this case, we learned from both, and our response was a resounding urgency for change from someone who believes in "the audacity of hope". This is our time and we get to choose how we remember it and how we mark it. So, yes we can. Yes, we did.

Let's mark time in a new way...let's ask what's possible...and let's continue to ask...

"Rosa sat, so Martin could walk, so Barack could run, so our children could fly..." (Author Unknown)

Time to Tell a New Story...

Happy November! We are in the midst of a changing and exciting time. A time we get to vote...days away from casting a ballot that has never been more important if we are to move forward. A time we get to see the light change and allow the sacred dark in (if you remembered to change your clock.) A time we begin to focus on gratitude and thanksgiving. I know I have a lot to be grateful for even with all the swirling going on around me. I have the ability to create and share stories.

For those who held space during the sharing of my Move the Island story, many thanks. I never thought I would make it through telling that story, and yet I have learned more about where people come from, how we are all connected and related, how adoption has affected self-identity and roles, and how definitions of family are expanding.

So, here is my invitation to you. Tell your story with a new ending. We all know our old stories, but what new one is waiting to unfold? Where can you expand your identity, your place in the world, your voice, your story? This month, tell at least one person your new story and see what gift unfolds. I sent in my story to Oprah!

There is a new story awaiting us after November 4. What new story will you tell?