19 October 2026

Dear Friend, I Miss You When

Dear friend, I miss you when I

  • Drive past the highway exit that leads to your house
  • Read a book and wonder if you'd like it, if you've read it, what you thought about it
  • Wonder if you figured out all the allergies and health things you were struggling with
  • See that the magic hour light is perfect and wonder if you are taking beautiful pictures in it
  • Read about neurodivergence and rejection sensitive dysphoria and remember the feeling of walking on eggshells
  • Come across education discussions and wonder what you think
  • Walk past a garden that makes me think of your yard and all the work you've done
  • See a Facebook memory we made
  • Pass the Thai restaurant I introduced you to that you used to love and wonder if you still do
  • Visit your son's grave, hoping I'll remember where it is in the cemetery, hoping the plastic-protected picture will still be clear enough to find
  • Talk to my pain psychologist and try to figure out if I could have done something differently
  • See a roof under construction and can't remember if your roof was finished the last time we met
  • Find a funny meme I wonder if you would like
  • See an event you might be interested in
  • Wonder how far along you are in your book and where it has taken the protagonist
  • Realize another month has passed with no response and wonder if you'll never talk or write to me again because I wasn't perfect enough to be a friend who didn't need anything

01 February 2026

Beloved, I Need You to Know

 

I am 
not safe
because 
we are 
not safe.

I am not safe.  
because we are not safe.

Our grandparents are not safe.

Our children are not safe.

Our parents are not safe.

Our neighbors are not safe.

Our neighbors 
who are people 
of color
are not safe.

Our neighbors 
regardless 
of legal status, 
are not safe.

Our neighbors, 
precious in the sight 
of God and made 
in the image of God, 
        who we are called 
        to love as we love 
        ourselves 
are not safe. 

And so we 
are not safe.  

And so I 
am not safe.  

And so 
neither 
are you.