Mountains and Stones

"Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope."

From the "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington, DC on August 28, 1963

It seemed fitting to close this week out with another quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.  It is from arguably his most famous speech, but not always the words that are focused on. That's one of the reasons I like it so much.

Another reason is that it is just what we need today, in these times. Do you ever stop and think "two years ago today . . . ?" Two years ago today our son Sam was in his senior year of high school. SnowWeek was coming up. We were doing some early planning for his graduation party. His eighteenth birthday was just around the corner.  

We were starting to hear more about the coronavirus, but it still seemed distant and not something that we were giving much worry. We had no idea what was coming, and if we had we probably wouldn't have believed it. 

A year ago, we were relishing the amazing poem "The Hill We Climb" from poet Amanda Gorman that she had so eloquently shared at the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Still reeling from the attack on the U.S. Capitol two weeks earlier, her words were both a salve and a challenge to us all amid some strange and difficult times. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and a direct attack on our democracy were two things I never saw coming. But they happened and continue to play out in many ways. The mountain of despair has reached new heights. 

Amanda Gorman threw out many stones of hope in that poem. These words especially resonated:  

“For there is always light, if only we are brave enough to see it, if only we are brave enough to be it.”

Think of how we can each help dismantle that mountain of despair, stone by stone. Be brave. Take compassionate and courageous actions. Each action matters. Each stone of hope helps.