Winter Solstice 2020

Winter Solstice 2020

Good Grief, and the promise of "Good Trouble."

We grieve because we care… We will light candles to honor the lives we have loved and lost this year. May their lessons and their voices live in us and through us. Each year we are reminded of who we have lost and say their names.. For me, My “West Seattle dad”, Jim Dean just recently passed and my heart aches for his family; John Prine was one of my favorite musicians (I might not have made it through high school without his songs!) Marc’s Alto Saxophone teacher and mentor Jeff Clayton, who found the horn he uses today; but of course Breona Taylor, George Floyd and The Civil Rights Leader John Lewis’s passing were particularly difficult.

John Lewis, elder statesman who lived through multiple beatings during the Civil Rights Demonstrations starting in the 60’s believed that “we have to get into a little good trouble” (through civil disobedience) in order to advance the community. You know, shake it up a bit. Sometimes satire, comedy or even sitting down where you are not supposed to will do the trick. Other times it requires getting pushed around, beat up and of course many people died to advance our society and honestly, to create a more perfect union. There were many options for him to meet anger with anger, but he was able to rise above that and meet anger with love and understanding. May our lives be as fulfilling and rewarding as his and may we live up to and honor the sacrifices he made for us.We still have a long way to go before we can say that every life matters to every one of us. We can have no peace without justice, and no justice without compassion (and love).

Rest in Power John Lewis.

What good trouble will you be getting into this coming year?