—I’M JUST SAYING EVERYTHING OUT LOUD SO I KNOW IT’S TRUE

…Yesterday was a better day for me. In the last couple of months, it’s always one up, one (way) down.

Yesterday I saw a doe grazing in a yard.

I saw field after field of white daisies scattered like a baby’s breath, butterflies and bees doing their magic.

I saw a pair of ten-year-old’s sitting at a table on the sidewalk in downtown Snohomish. At first, I thought they were maybe selling lemonade. Nope. There was a vase with flowers on the table and a sign that said FREE SNACKS AND CONVERSATION. One of the boys was snapping a photo of a police officer posing, giving the ‘thumbs up’ sign.  Definitely cuter.

I saw a life-sized statue of Sasquatch in front of someone’s yard wearing a face mask.

...And a few days ago, I learned one of my stories was long-listed as one of the 100 best short fictions at Wigleaf, a premier online magazine that I have admired since I started writing full-time. Here’s the story:

 https://spelkfiction.com/2019/05/10/madagascar/

…I’ve pretty much been staying off social media of late. Most of the posts just bring me down. I’ve been trying to learn more and look for positive uplifting things.

Last night I watched “I Am Not Your Negro,” a documentary about race. It was excellent.

…This restored some of my faith people:

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/looters-burned-her-business-then-a-complete-stranger-stepped-in-to-help-012133976.html

…"Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting."- Elizabeth Asquith Bibesco

…One of my best friends shared this powerful video with me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?campaign_id=39&emc=edit_ty_20200605&instance_id=19114&nl=opinion-today&regi_id=69376360&segment_id=30163&te=1&user_id=4b7c69e1553d72a22d48cf46d27ffaab&v=A2kWIa8wSC0

…One of my other best friends shared this, which is very illuminating:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8jUA7JBkF4

…Black Lives Matter. Even Jesus knew it:

   Jesus in Luke 15:

-100 sheep, but one goes missing.

-Jesus leaves the 99 sheep, and goes after the one.

-The 99 say: “But what about us? Don’t we matter?”

-Of course the 99 still matter, but they’re not the ones in danger.

This one is.

And, lastly, I love the hopefulness in this:

-What if 2020 isn’t cancelled?

What if 2020 is the year we’ve been waiting for?

A year so uncomfortable, so painful, so scary, so raw

 that it finally forces us to grow?

A year that screams so loud, finally awakening us

  from our ignorant slumber.

A year we finally accept the need for change.

Declare change. Work for change. Be the change.

A year we finally band together instead of

pulling each other further apart.

What if 2020 isn’t cancelled, but it’s

 the most important year of them all?

 --Leslie Dwight