Last week I went to visit my parents grave and thought about how they would both roll over if they were witness to our country today. Although Carol King wrote the song "I Feel The Earth Move" to reconcile her failing marriage, the song came to mind during this time. It seems that much of the societal norms we grew up with are crumbling around us. Since our Dad passed 5 years ago this week and Mom a little over three years ago, my brother and I have been trying to reconcile their legacies.
As my brother shared in his recent blog, our Dad built a museum quality collection to preserve ancient and more recent US history. His mo was to visually share the threads of history and educate the next generations on the values of a Judeo-Christian culture and its foundation for a democratic society. Metaphorically this can be represented by another well known Carol King song, Tapestry.
I recently saw the movie "Life Itself" and am an avid fan of "This Is Us" both created by Dan Fogelman. Each show features multigenerational family stories that go back and forth to allow watchers an understanding of what lies beneath the main characters. As implied by these productions, we all have certain milestones and events that help formulate our belief systems. These are the building blocks that lay the foundations of who we are.
As I come to terms with the passing of my parents, it has become increasingly important for me to reflect on life's little lessons instilled in my upbringing. Pillars to these lessons were respect, honesty and the equal rights of free speech and voting. I continue to admire the values embedded in me and will do all I can to to keep their beliefs alive. Perhaps as I see the world crumbling under my feet, I am optimistic that if enough of us vote and become more engaged with our communities we can begin to weave new tapestries.
Wendy is a realtor with Coldwell Banker Needham. She works with buyers and sellers on the lower Cape as well. For more information please visit her website at www.wendybcb.com.
