Seeking Authentic Voice

Terri C. Pilarski, as a Girl Scout, carrying the American flag in a parade, 1969 This year in the USA, Monday, May 25th, was Memorial Day. It is the annual day of remembering those who have died fighting in wars to uphold the freedom and values this country espouses.  This annual day of remembrance began around 1866, the year after the Civil War ended. Initially cities around the country chose different days and different ways to remember those who had died in the Civil War. Then in 1968 after people in this country had fought and died in WWI, WWII, and other wars, Congress passed the Uniform Holiday Act which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May, creating a three day weekend to honor federal employees. Typically the day has been celebrated with patriotic parades and family picnics. It’s become the unofficial launch of summer.  However, this year  was different. No parades, and picnics were to be carefully constructed with some degree of soc...

My three year old granddaughter, like most preschoolers, is figuring out her world. She is a child that is stoic about physical pain, but very expressive in  her emotional agony when she does not get her way. From the sound of her cries one would think the world was ending. Her brother, almost 20 months old, observes his sister. Although he is generally more easy going, when he has been affronted because of something he cannot have, he will slowly “fall” down, slow enough that he doesn’t get hurt in his collapsing, but at the same time the dramatic wailing of his cry informs us that he is suffering and displeased. Because these two are so young their suffering is short lived and they are easily redirected to something else, usually by picking them up and taking them outside where I point out the birds or the squirrels.  The Covid times we are living are being experienced by each of us in different ways. Some of us are managing this time just fine, with little interr...