Boots and Blessings

We had just lifted up his mother's 95th birthday in church. I didn't know if he had heard the news, so I just sent a vague-ish email: Where in Nepal did his mother live? Kathmandu, he replied. But before the news broke worldwide, breaking the phone system, he had heard from his brother. The immediate family was okay. His mother was okay. They were sleeping in a car out in an open field to avoid aftershocks. It is devastating. All rubble. They don't know about other family members. My son is safe at college, just three hours away from me. But another young man, exactly his age, is also at college. We have sponsored his education since he was 12, exchanging letters and photos twice a year. He is studying engineering and is growing into a fine man. In Nepal. We are following the status updates that Answer-Nepal is putting out, scanning the list for Alish's name, multiple times a day. I have sent an email to the last email address I had for him. I just checked again...

There is real news today The Supreme Court of the land hearing arguments About whether all who love, may legally marry And a real couple watch: can they make plans? Set a date? There is real news today Baltimore is burning With rage, with despair, with anguish And 2 real persons watch from their respective windows Is it safe to go to work today? Will his blue security uniform mean attack? Will his black skin mean death? There is real news today Nepali people dig in the rubble for loved ones Landslides, avalanche, no way to get supplies And 2 real family members, a world away, listen Hoping for a phone call that mama is okay The ping of an email that the student has been located. Turn off the analysis The posturing The replaying over and over To elicit the emotional reaction That means you'll keep watching And paying for them to do it all again Tomorrow There is real news today With real people.