A Prayer

I pray that we can allow each other our humanity — our flaws, our suffering, our tenderness, and our love. I pray that we can be compassionate and courageous and do the very, very hard work of meeting each other heart to heart; unguarded, undefended, unmasked. I pray that as we untangle these collective wounds, we can be kind and that we do not cause more harm or perpetuate more violence along the way. I pray that we have the grit to withstand unbearable honesty, with each other and with ourselves. And I pray that even in the midst of this deep tremor of heartache and pain and grief, we can remember that we all belong to each other. You are your brother’s keeper. Keep him well. You are your sister’s keeper. Keep her well.

xx