The gratitude that we encounter helps us believe in the goodness of the world, and strengthens us thereby to do what’s good.

–Albert Schweitzer

The radical is that unique person who actually believes what he says. He is that person to whom the common good is the greatest personal value. He is that person who genuinely and completely believes in humankind. The radical is so completely identified with humankind that he personally shares the pain, the injustices, and the sufferings of all his fellow humans. For the radical the bell tolls unceasingly, and every manÂ’s struggle is his fight.

–Saul Alinsky

From The New York Times: Waiting for a President:

If he is going to succeed at achieving anything of substance, the next president will have to help the nation reach some new place where elected officials expect that rewards can be won from cooperation and mutual respect. Right now, we are in the peculiar position of suffering political paralysis, despite the fact that there is a clear consensus on most questions of policy.

Any pollster, and any reasonable politician, can tell you what most Americans want, particularly when it comes to a domestic agenda. Pick the moderate position on almost any issue — Social Security, gay rights, taxes — and you will find the public right behind you. But lawmakers can’t lead themselves into a bipartisan consensus. Only a president can create a new mood, and he can do it only by sacrificing his own short-term political advantage on occasion for the common good.

Then this, via Fatshadow:

The good news: America is a divided nation. Despite the pundit hand-wringing over this fact, it is a positive thing. Nearly — nearly — half of the electorate rejected Bush’s leadership, his agenda, his priorities, his falsehoods. From Eminem to the chairman of Bank of America to 48 Nobel laureates to gangbangers who joined anti-Bush get-out-the-vote efforts in swing states. Nearly half of the voting public concluded that Bush had caused the deaths of over 1100 American GIs and literally countless Iraqis (maybe 100,000) for no compelling reason. Nearly half saw the emperor buck naked and butt ugly. Nearly half said no to his rash actions and dishonest justifications. Nearly half realized that Bush had misrepresented the war in Iraq as a crucial part of the effort against al Qaeda and Islamic jihadism. Nearly half desired better and more honest leadership. Nearly half knew that Bush has led the country astray.

—David Corn

Crabby has a new family member. Being a crazy cat lady myself (and sensing I might have been a cat in a previous lifetime, if such exists), I rejoice with her. This little nugget articulates my experience precisely:

The beauty of cats takes my breath away. The pleasure I gain from their appearance, grace and attitude – and watching their own pleasure at those same attributes – never wanes; it has never been easy to resist adding more.

—Ronni Bennett

As stated by Michel de Montaigne, “When I play with my cat, who knows whether she is not
amusing herself with me more than I with her?” I do enjoy the flirtation.

Today’s post is created with the intention of celebrating Siona’s birthday. Her care has been comforting and vital in my transition to the west coast. She is a lovely, sweet soul. I hope today she feels how much she is loved.

So Much Happiness It is difficult to know what to do with so much happiness. With sadness there is something to rub against, a wound to tend with lotion and cloth. When the world falls in around you, you have pieces to     pick up, something to hold in your hands, like ticket stubs,     or change. But happiness floats. It doesn’t need you to hold it down. It doesn’t need anything. Happiness lands on the roof of the next house, singing, and disappears when it wants to. You are happy either way. Even the fact that you once lived in a peaceful tree house and now live over a quarry of noise and dust cannot make you unhappy. Everything has a life of its own, it too could wake up filled with possibilities of coffee cake and ripe peaches, and love even the floor which needs to be swept, the soiled linens and scratched records… Since there is no place large enough to contain so much happiness, you shrug, you raise your hands, and it flows out of you into everything you touch. You are not responsible. You take no credit, as the night sky takes no credit for the moon, but continues to hold it, and share it, and in that way, be known. –Naomi Shihab Nye

I found this in a book on texts to use for a wedding, and it brought tears to my eyes. It captured and distilled my own experience. I may use it in my own upcoming wedding.

A Prayer For a Wedding because everyone knows exactly what’s good for another because very few see because a man and a woman may just possibly look at each other because in the insanity of human relationships there still     may come a time we say: yes, yes because a man or a woman can do anything he or she pleases because you can reach any point in your life saying: now, I want     this because eventually it occurs we want each other, we want     to know each other, even stupidly, even uglily because there is at best a simple need in two people to try     and reach some simple ground because that simple ground is not so simple because we are human beings gathered together whether     we like it or not because we are human beings reaching out to touch because sometimes we grow     we ask a blessing on this marriage     we ask that some simplicity be allowed     we ask their happiness     we ask that this couple be known for what it is,     and that the light shine upon it     we ask a blessing for their marriage –Joel Oppenheimer

If I knew that today would be the last time IÂ’d see you, I would hug you tight and pray the Lord be the keeper of your soul. If I knew that this would be the last time you pass through this door, IÂ’d embrace you, kiss you, and call you back for one more. If I knew that this would be the last time I would hear your voice, IÂ’d take hold of each word to be able to hear it over and over again. If I knew this is the last time I see you, IÂ’d tell you I love you, and would not just assume foolishly you know it already.

–Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Dear Internet,
Your presence in my life means a great deal to me. I’ve “met” numerous good souls through blogging and surfing. You’re a wonderful community.

That said, last night’s news about my friend’s devastating loss made me aware of numerous three-dee people from whom I have withheld myself lately. Some of these folks are far, far away. I can’t control the geographical distance or the time difference. I have a job which requires hours of my life. When the above quote landed in my inbox, I decided it’s time to take a break and make the effort to interact in slightly more immediate ways. I’ve been robbing myself and my loved ones of connection, and the pendulum needs to swing the other way for awhile.

I’ll be back in a few. I’ll probably post haiku as usual. Otherwise, there’s a lengthy blogroll to peruse.