Life of Wry

My goodness, it’s been a heavy heart week.

While there was a satisfying and due verdict in the George Floyd case, it doesn’t change (yet) the fundamental problems with policing, systemic racism and the general racial injustices that persist. Meanwhile, as if to underscore exactly that, there have been more police-involved shootings this week as we are still reeling from last week’s. One officer shot and killed a 20-year old with a gun when she meant to reach for a taser (that young man, Daunte Wright, was buried today after a high profile, televised memorial); another police officer shot and killed a 16-year old girl who appeared to be on the verge of stabbing another girl with a large knife. That one is less about officer abuse (since he responded as trained) — his split second response while fatal to the knife wielder spared the life of her attackee — and more about fundamental police training issues (why a gun, why shoot to kill?) and, perhaps more fundamental, about a society that failed the troubled teen in the first place.

And, adding sorrow to sorrow, Jim and I attended a memorial today for a Davis 23-year old, Jake, who died way too young of an accidental drug overdose. Hundreds showed up at the cemetery, including so many young folks.

It just makes you want your kid here right now so you can wrap your arms around him in love and safety. It makes you realize, for the gazillionth time, life is precious and can change in a heartbeat… words that sound like platitudes we hear them so often, but they’re just the plain god-honest truth. Life is precious and can change in a heartbeat.

There are a lot of moms and dads in pain this week.

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A few favorite shots of wrapping our boy in love…