Happy Birthday, Me!  Today I’ve lived 59 years.  While it is a personal day of celebration, it is also a national day of mourning.  Too many deaths.  Too much hatred. Too much pain. But, well, I still have some wishes… Here are a few of them:

1. I wish for young Black and Brown children to never have to be told how to “act” so they can live when stopped by the police. I wish for violence everywhere to cease.
2. I wish for Police Officer’s main job to be Peace Officers…seeking avenues for peace, safety, and stability.  I wish for their safety too.
3. I wish for immigrants near and refugees world-wide to find communities that will surround them in love.
4. I wish for LGBTQ persons to be equally valued because they live and breathe.
5. I wish for politician who stir up hatred to step down. And the same for media.
6. I wish for the Church to flood the world with acts of kindness, generosity, and love that mirrors Christ’s love for us, and that changes us now.
7. I wish for peace on earth, justice for all, and mercy unending.

Happy Birthday to me! May it be so. Amen.