Marilyn R. Gardner's Blog, page 56

On Belonging

Recently I watched a group of younger colleagues. They seemed do at home with each other, so comfortable. Like pieces in a puzzle, they all fit. There was without doubt some diversity among them, but they spoke the same language, had the same Masters of Public Health (MPH)after their names, had gone to similar colleges, [...]

Song of Homesickness

“There are many more sushi bars in Santa Barbara than I ever see in Kyoto, and my friends are all talking there of giving things up, going back to the country, finding a self that my Japanese neighbors have never had a chance to lose. It’s a song of homesickness they’re singing silently, perhaps, and [...]

Eyes to See

“What is true is that the world has always been this way, people have always been this way, grace always bats last, it just does–and finally, when all is said and done, and the dust settles, which it does, Love is sovereign here.” Anne Lamott on Facebook It’s been a hot, dry summer. Though I [...]

And Lady Liberty Weeps….

“Give me your tired, your poor,” she says. Ah, but first we must verify income and employability; we must make sure these people fit with “our way of life.” We must make sure these creatures are not leeches who steal jobs fromthosewho really belong. “Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” Make sure the [...]

The Magic of a Picnic

When our children were small, and our bank accounts smaller, we would look at each other, laugh, and say “At least we can picnic!” And picnic we did. On lawns and in front yards, at rivers and on beaches, in play grounds and even indoors – there was always time for a picnic. Picnics have [...]

A Marriage and a Mirror

This past Friday,my husband and I celebrated our 32nd anniversary. Along with our anniversary, we celebrated a milestone – wemet our first grandchild. There was something deeply moving about holding this small bundle of baby, knowing that he has no idea how beloved he already is. He is born to parents that wanted him, planned [...]

For Love of Little K–a re-worked repost

I wrote this piece in August of 2014 after Michael Brown was shot. The town of Ferguson was in a state of shock and confusion. Peaceful protests eventually turned violent. It lasted for days. That was two years ago. Last week Alton Sterling was shot dead by a police officer on July 5, 2016 in [...]

Pondering Privilege – a Book Review

Pondering Privilege – Toward a Deeper Understanding of Whiteness, Race, and Faith*by Jody Wiley Fernando could not come to us at a better time. As media and newsfeeds fill with images and stories,many of us who are white really want to know how to do things better. Many of us, as uncomfortable as it is, [...]

Good Stories Behind Bad Headlines

The headlines chase us down, taunting us with their urgency, telling us to how to respond. They never stop. We may sleep, but the headlines don’t. And they don’t want us to – not really. The person who is first to share or tweet a story gets the prize. Behind the bad headlines are some [...]

Speechless in the face of Our Wounded World

My heart is reeling. There’s so much I want to write about race and violence and injustice. But that will have to wait. I have no capacity just now. To be honest I find myself without insight or wisdom. I have nothing but lament. The world is wounded. Deeply deeply scarred. This country–among all other [...]