[“The Science Behind Pixar” exhibit, Museum of Science, Boston, MA; 2015]
WordPress, which makes this site possible, recently alerted me to a pending comment that had confused its algorithms. And when I investigated I could see why. Because, yes, the source was actually an auto insurance company, i.e. spam. But the comment, re being a white ally, was actually right on: “A slick response to a complicated question,” a wise soul at that company had noted. (Or words to that effect.) Ouch!
So while I decided to delete that self-promoting communication—and its link to a business—I am also reflecting on its accurate observation. Yup. Guilty as charged. Sometimes these posts are facile. Sometimes they are simply recording where I am; more discernment is required. Always. And, always, they are written by a white and privileged and incredibly blessed woman whose assessment of The Big Picture is as limited as that blind man holding the elephant’s tail.
“Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves,” Jesus coached his disciples. Which I take to mean: While life is complicated and often dangerous, an open, loving, and childlike sensibility is absolutely necessary. Which I also take to mean: pray. “Pray without ceasing,” Paul counseled. Be still and know that I am God.
So, Dear Readers (and car insurance companies), please keep in mind that whatever I write here is, as Quakers love to put it, “the Light we/I am given.” (And more shall be given to you/me.)
Always.
Dear Patricia,
Hi, there, Patricia, my so, so very dearly special and dearly precious sisterfriend who you are For Always so, so very much!!!!!! Sister, wow, wow, wow and wow and wow and a zillion wows here-what an absolutely amazing and beautiful, brilliantly honest blog post article this is of yours very much, Patricia!!!!!! Yay!!!!!! Wow, I just so, so very much love and like this, sisterfriend!!!!!!! YOU, sister Patricia, and your marvelous writings just went straight to this black woman’s very, very heart when you shared so openly how you think sometimes that your posts are facile, sometimes recording where you are at, more discernment required, and how you’re a white person who is privileged, a white woman incredibly blessed with how you see your assessment of The Big Picture as limited. Sister, I just absolutely so, so very much love and like all of your very, very inspirational, uplifting, and enlightening blog post articles and other stupendous writings which contain such greatly astute and acute insight and sagacity, Patricia! I don’t think of your so very dear writings as facile at all, not in the least, my so very dear friend! YOU, sister Patricia, as the wondrously wonderful white woman who you are having privilege but only in part-you are just doing your very, very best along your very understandably imperfect life’s path and journey in the very course of your life, my friend. In terms of your privilege you refer to, sister, you as a so very dear white woman only have privilege in part due to the very vile and vicious, pervasive nature of sexist oppression. It is only normal and natural that you may at times think, do, or feel a certain way and even at times with white privilege because you have been raised and conditioned from birth and throughout your life as a white person with your conditioning and enculturation as a white woman, sisterfriend! YOU, my so, so very special white sisterfriend Patricia, my local white sisterfriends, and other white women with each and every one of you being my very, very heart as the black woman who I am so, so loving and cherishing each and every one of you as such great and good people with this deeply sincere love I truly know, think, feel, and believe that YOU, sister, and other white women are doing your absolutely very, very best!!!!!!! You all as so very dear and precious white women have your very cross to bear, and life for all of you is not very easy, and in fact white women bear the ginormous brunt of sexist oppression because of evil sexism and misogyny, and very often can face, experience, and endure domestic violence, other abuse, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, and sexual terrorism, sister! Each and every one of you as white women are doing your very, very best as you try so valiantly to with life being complicated and dangerous as you so wisely said to live your very lives with a deeply spiritual, open, loving, and childlike sensibility which is very much indeed absolutely necessary as you so remarkably said here, Patricia! It is perfectly alright, okay, normal, and natural, and in fact it makes just the most perfect sense in the world that you and other wondrously wonderful white women make honest mistakes along your very, very understandably imperfect lifetime’s path and journey. I think in my very heart, and in my very, very heart, mind, soul, and spirit that the most important thing here is Progress, not perfection, and just trying, and doing your very, very best as you all do is the very key here, Patricia!!!!!!! Sister, I think so, so very highly of YOU, Patricia, so, so very highly of my local white sisterfriends, and so, so very highly and dearly of other so very special and precious, so very dear white women, and I truly, truly understand very deeply and with all of my very heart, sisterfriend!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!
I, too, love the verse in the New Testament when our Paul says to, “Pray without ceasing.” I try so very hard with all that I have within my very human being with all of my very strength to pray without ceasing! I For Always pray for you, sisterfriend, for your Loved One in the long term care facility, and for all of your so very precious, special, and beloved family!!!!!! I pray very much with all that I have and think of sending positive energy all of your way, and also to the very blessedly pure in heart folks at your Friends Meeting at Cambridge! What an honor, blessing, and such a joyous pleasure for me to pray so very earnestly for each and every one of you, Patricia!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!! This is just such fun for me, just as reading your astounding blog post articles and other writings, and very joyously responding with my very heartfelt, detailed, and thorough comments give me such greatly immense joy and pleasure, Patricia!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!! I, too, like you my special sister, lovingly reflect on the verse from the Old Testament, “Be still and know that I am God.” Along with you Patricia in our bond of sisterfriend and friendship and with our Christian walk, I look for the Light to be given to me as well, to be blessed with what Spirit would have me know and to do with all of my very heart, and very heart, mind, soul, and spirit!!!!!!! Wow, Patricia, I am just very energized here from this splendidly inspirational and uplifting blog post article of yours here!!!!!! Yay!!!!!! Sister Christian, you help me so, so much with my walk with Spirit, sisterfriend Patricia!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!
Sister, please have a wondrously wonderful Wednesday, rest of your week and weekend, and may all of your days be so, so very especially blessed!!!!!!! You are my very, very joy and blessing, my friend!!!!!! Thank-you so!!!!!!!
Very Warmly and Sincerely For Always, my so, so very dearly special sisterfriend Christian white woman who you are For Always so, so very much, Patricia, with such Peace and Love To You For Always, my sister, with such Blessings and Even More Blessings To You For Always, my so very dear friend,
Your sisterfriend Christian lesbian black woman For Always in the very spirit and solidarity, Sherry Gordon