Kos -
Happy Birthday to little Ari. If I recall, I'm a day late for his first birthday, but I was a little busy yesterday. If I have the date wrong, I apologize, but I know it's about now.
I am posting this here for a couple of reasons. First, as another "thank you" for all your efforts. This site draws its strength from the community - and from you. Despite my utter agony today, you all have made my life much more bearable for months. I haven't always posted much, because it's hard to add anything of value when there are 20,000 other voices, many of them much more articulate than my own, but I was constantly inspired by the enthusiasm, resolve (sorry George, you haven't cornered the market), and poetry of contributors.
I also post this to remind us all what we already know: Life will go on. We may yet prevail over this administration, or over the rightwing control of this country.... but either way, we will all tend to our own lives and loves, paramount among them our children. (more after I wipe tears from my eyes...)
I remember after 9/11, so many people said - and the headlines blared - "Everything has changed."
But you know what? It didn't. That very day, I took my kids to the park, and gave them all the love I could. It turns out, they were my refuge that day. And they are again today. I can't let my anger and disappointment change my support for them, my love for them. They are, after all, the center of the universe (I'm sure the unifying theory will eventually discover as much).
For now, we are all in mourning. We all express it differently, here and perhaps in our "other lives."
Soon we will fight back - tomorrow? January? Definitely 2006, 2008... We will. And I hope one day we will win a decisive victory. So that our government will be be socially and economically just. We will convince the people - once again - that government should be of the people, by the people, for the people. Maybe Obama will lead the charge. Or maybe he will pave the way for others. It won't be an easy battle, but many of us have been fighting in ways small and large for a long long time, and I for one am not about to surrender.
We will struggle to make the world - including the U.S. - a better place for our children. I refuse to surrender control of our country to hate and evil so long as I know my children will inherit it.
In the meantime, our children make the world a better place for us. (Today, that means making the world bearable!). This weekend I will celebrate my son's 5th; in a few months, my daughter's 7th. I plan to enjoy those days to the fullest.
So, happy birthday to Ari. I'm sure he has birthday wishes from 25,000 Kossacks (and don't tell him about the trolls).