You probably know that I have a thing for The West Wing. In the final season, when characters Matt Santos and Arnie Vinick are running a close election for the post-Bartlet Presidency, the time comes, as it inevitably does, for the debate between the candidates for Vice President.
Matt Santos watches, with his family, as his running mate, Leo McGarry, tackles a hard question about health care. (Imagine that!)
As Leo concludes his really effective response, Matt blurts, “Damn straight!”
His wide-eyed small daughter, Myranda, chimes in with, “Daddy said a swear!”
Well, Grammy has needed more than a few swears in the last few days.
You probably don’t have to guess very hard to figure out my position on the Impeachment trial which just concluded. And you may have other views.
That’s the way it’s supposed to work. IF everybody plays with good faith.
That doesn’t feel to me like the truth in this moment, which brings another memory to mind.
I was a 16 year old summer camp counselor, sitting on the back deck of the dining hall, listening to our director’s transistor radio (Really!) while Richard Nixon resigned.
I had no box in my head, at that point in my journey, for Republicans of bad faith. We didn’t talk about even the possibility of such things in my family.
And, yes, I’ve learned a few other things since then. And I know that, if you’ve been hanging around a while, you’ve heard me tell this story before.
I didn’t know it then, but I started learning something else that day, as well.
Jean, our Camp Director, turned off the radio as the news ended and invited us to join her in song.
Kumbayah.
If you like, you can click the button below, and join me. But, first, the thing I’m learning these days. The thing Jean lived but didn’t tell me, overtly, about. It’s this question:
What are we teaching our children by what we do?
In a few minutes, I’ll turn off CNN (probably) and switch to Iron Chef America while I warm up some leftover wings for supper. And remind you that there are lots of paintings with hearts hoping to find families in my Etsy shop. The sale goes on through the 15th for pieces in the section marked Hearts. The magic, secret code is HAVEAHEART
Which isn’t a bad place to be while we sing.
ps… Happy Valentine’s Day. We’re making those awesome little chocolate things next week. Recipe to follow!
pss… And, yes, Myranda, I put a quarter in my abundance bowl!