Fall means a lot to Americans.
The crisp morning air with its misty realms of peace.
The colorful evening skies
The nostalgia of trees gently moving in the soft winds or dressing out in new colors before the first snow
Preparing for a winter whether it will be in snow or mild temperatures
The smells of wood-burning fireplaces and hot apple ciders
The traditional mixed emotions relating to the start of a new school year fill the air
The tight hold on the last days of summer always create intense feelings
This year a distinct feeling of dread replaces the anticipation of sports, new friends and gleaming textbooks
Home has taken on deeper meaning these days and the significance of it all
Abandons us in breathless moments where an ominous unknown hangs like stars in the dark nights
Our hearts long for security or even glimpses of hope all will be well
It seems our lives will never be the same and there will be cloudy shades of our past existence
Some days some of us get out of bed with more questions than yesterday
The next day we rise above it all while others ask the questions
As we watch favorite newscasters and read works from intriguing authors
Their words, the expression on their faces convey the same unknowns we feel
The traditional avenues for resolve, the classic protocols shift in underlying indifference
Multiple crisis attack the soul of our nation and in it all
Our hearts cannot find leverage in formerly established norms
We squirm in it all – seeking to find courage in the destructive unrest
Most of us feel the racial inequities with more empathy than before and
We have made genuine plans to transform our workplaces and watch our words and actions
We will not forget – we know the crucial transformations that must take place
We are planning, learning, and adjusting so that true equity can become the reality for all
The profound weight of 600,000 lives lost to COVID engulfs our hearts and we long for ways to encourage
We feel with our fellow patriots, our close neighbors, the depth of pain related to death
The stories of lonely last days, long-lasting symptoms, children infected with disease
The work of first responders who show pain in their faces as they ask for supplies
Fires that overwhelm the sky and destroy homes, hurricanes that wipe out entire districts
We are not sure we can live a 1984 existence… in apocalyptic days… wearing masks in distance mode
Are there better ways to think and level these feelings so that it doesn’t surround our souls?
If the vaccines don’t alleviate the circumstances, what will?
And who – what body of leaders – is going to restore our political checks and balances
Who is going to bring justice to the systems that guide our days?
Is it true my vote counts, I matter, and we will return to a normal of some sort?
I wish someone would describe the “new normal?” Will it include wearing a mask?
Will fall return to a season of hope when my beautiful child will be safe from disease as she learns?
Will school bells ring and the ambiance of academia hold sounds of students chattering in halls filled with future dreams?
Will the sanctuaries of life return and allow us to establish new rhythms?
Where all are created equal and endowed with certain rights
Where landlords and renters treat each other with decency and serve together as stewards of priceless property
Will health care become a right shared equally by all in our land?
Will the priceless value of our homes relate to sharing life instead of a costly mortgage that overwhelms reality?
Will college degrees and job advances be open opportunities for all?
Will all of our sons and daughters enjoy the smell of new textbooks alongside the hum of a computer
Will we sit around our dining room tables celebrating life benchmarks and cozy holiday moments?
Will it be better than okay and allow all to live with promises to the free and the brave?
I – no – we – each of us – are the free and the brave…
We can courageously overcome these tragedies and rise above the destruction
Together we can move wisely, soberly and with our heads to the wind to conquer the evils
Let’s make up our minds to establish a beautiful new normal
Decide to drive kindly, walk higher roads, give dignity and forgive each other with patient regard
For the good that lies within each of us… let’s give gifts of strength and courage
Let’s support our government, pray for our leaders and find ways to make life better for all
In honor of authentic realness let’s walk the extra mile to understand our fellow companions
And construct a world where the new norm is good for all and closer to that perfect union
I treasure you and yours – thank you for watching out for me and mine
Please stay well as you courageously fight as hard as I am
To rise above this dark season and soar with victory in fall’s gentle airs of triumph…
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