I am grateful this evening to my ancestors–people many of whose names I do not and will not ever know. People who went before me and paved the way for me to be who and where I am.
This afternoon I went to see a film that depicted the courage of an entire generation of women who did what they needed to do to provide for their families even when it meant subjecting themselves to demeaning, dehumanizing, unjust treatment at the hands of wealthy, powerful, often small-minded people. I am grateful for my African American heritage, to come from ancestors who endured, persevered, and triumphed against all manner of opposition.There is a legacy of strength and resistance that was born of their overcoming, and yes, there is also a legacy of pain, oppression, and suffering. This too we are still working to overcome.
I am grateful to my parents and those of their generation who fought for rights that now so many of us take for granted and sometimes throw carelessly and casually away. Because of what they did I have the education I do and the opportunities I have had. As best I can I am passing on to my children an appreciation for what their grandparents stood for, believed in, fought for. And as best I can, I am setting my own example for them of how to persevere with honor, integrity, and peace.
At this moment in my life I do not necessarily have the external trappings of “success” as it is artificially determined by today’s standards. But I carry the commitment to service, dedication to justice, determination to do right that my parents lived out, that my siblings exhibit and that many of my ancestors possessed. I see similar qualities in my children along with their wisdom, compassion, and desire to help others. That coupled with the legacy of our ancestors gives me hope for the world, even when on the surface it appears that so much around us is going haywire.
This has been a long couple of days and I find that I don’t have as much energy as I’d like to write more this evening. So rather than force anything I will close. When I prepare for sleep tonight I will offer prayers of gratitude for my ancestors, appreciation for my generation and thanksgiving for the next generation.
