reWIND

oh me, oh my.


1. my computer is beyond ill. it is, well, dead. may it rest in peace. i am still (quel surprise) not in the position to run right out and throw money at the problem. ahem.


2. there is an alarming situation rearing its beyond ugly head within my community, my circle, the place to which i have gone for refuge for the last two years.


3. and then, i heard the news today, oh boy; haiti. all i can say is haiti.

so i dug in my old bag of tricks, and found one of my favorite oldie-but-goodies. a tear-jerker perhaps, and yet a salient reminder that i am blessed. we are blessed. although i don't think it reasonable to dismiss my own issues or sweep today's challenges under the rug, reading this reminded me (reWINDed me) that at least i have a roof over my head, and over the heads of my dear children.


please share it. be well. be blessed.


there are a lot of articles and posts on the web today reminding us of the original
meaning of memorial day; although i am not the person one would describe as a patriot,
i agree it is most important that we think of all those that have given their blood, sweat,
tears, and lives for this illusive, intangible thing we call 'freedom'.

although i didn't dive head first into a full-blown weekend extravaganza, and
there were still dishes, laundry, and screaming kids, i did manage to enjoy my
memorial day weekend.

friday night i went to a barbecue in honor of my friend denise (yeah denise!), who
completed her master's degree in education at colombia university last week.while we enjoyed a candle lit bed-stuy throwdown, i prayed for the souls of all those
who have given their lives in one war or another.

saturday i took the kids for a playdate in beautiful prospect park.
can you imagine this, right here, in the heart of brooklyn?
while my son experienced his first-ever-solo-kite-flight

i prayed for all the little boys who spent the weekend wishing their father were here to fly
a kite with them one last time.

while amzi played fairy paper dolls with her friend ada,
i prayed for all the little girls across the globe, who have lost their moms to war,
and must dress younger siblings instead of paper dolls.

and while she sat by this water fall
i prayed for all those whose wells, streams and lakes have been made impotable by war

this morning we woke up and made beignets. i brought back some mix from
new orleans. as the kids rolled out the dough,
i prayed for the children of the lower ninth ward, whose homes are still a pile of rubble,
although the golf courses were reopened faster than you can say 'laisez les bon temps
roulet'

and as we pressed out stars with our cookie cutter
i prayed for all the little ones, who right now are looking up to the night sky, and
instead of the magical glitter of the firmament, are witnessing the rocket's red glare

and while mine experienced holy deeeeelish!

i prayed for the far too many children who are hungry, with no food in sight.

as i enjoyed the quiet of my house today (the tall person person with the penis who
lives with me took the kids out for the whole day!)

and i experienced my first moment of peace in what felt like a very, very long time, i
thought of my favorite (yet virtually unknown) verse of the song sung by school children
from sea to shining sea...

o beautiful for heroes proved
in liberating strife.
who more than self their country loved
and mercy more than life!
america! america!
may GOD thy gold refine
till all success be nobleness
and every gain divine!

and now as my children sleep i pray, with every cell in my being, that they and every child...

american iraqi
israeli palestinian
pakistani indian
african colombian
black white
brown yellow

...every child, wakes up tomorrow to find that while they were sleeping we grown-ups
figured something out

this memorial day, i pray for peace