Fall is the season that deeply resonates with me. I have always loved the bustle of children heading back to school, beginnings tucked into the traditional harvest time, the seasonal time of endings. This year, as a new Director of Religious Education, I added the start of our fall Religious Education program to my list of joys.
There have been many joys and sorrows mixed into the fall days for me this year. One ending that saddened me was the death of my uncle. He was my last blood relation from my parents’ generation, my mother’s youngest brother. I was deeply moved by the tributes I heard to this gentle and loving man at his funeral. There was much beauty in the encomiums that he received from his family and from his community. His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were there to say goodbye.
Within the same week, I flew to Washington D.C. with my husband to attend the Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. What a wonderful event that was! Our first surprise was when we tried to ride the subway to the Washington Mall and huge lines of people were curling out of our Virginia metro station. Rally participants all crammed into the trains and made the 50 minute ride downtown. There were great signs that you can view on www.youtube.com, and it was a wonderful, friendly crowd. Unfortunately the sound system and video screens were not adequate for the huge turn out. Since we were standing toward the back and had trouble hearing the distant speakers, we enjoyed speaking with those around us. Our subway ride back was even more crowded, and I made several friends as we squashed together heading out of the downtown D.C. area.
What did I take away from this event? That there are many of us in this country, who, as Stewart says, work together every day to get things done. We don’t have to follow the drumbeat of hate and divisiveness that is getting pounded into our consciousness by extremist pundits. We met and saw so many wonderful young people who are worried and who care deeply about this country. It was a positive day, a multi-generational event that brought people from all over together to show that we care about America.
So against the beauty of the brilliant colors of the fall leaves, I saw a beginning. This was a rallying point for those of us with lives, with families, who are trying to make our world a better place without tearing others down in the process. For our sake, and our young people’s sake, let’s hope the momentum and spirit from October 30, 2010 continues forward.