Dear  Friends,
 
This is a Christmas the likes of which most of us have never seen before.  It is, of course, hard to find words for all we have been through. 
 
As I think about these difficult times, I find myself amazed by the helpers, heroes and caregivers who selflessly come to the fore.  
 
The help these angels give reminds me of a beautiful poem written by Jesuit priest, poet and activist, Daniel Berrigan. Originally published in Plowshare 8, the poem "Some" was written in memory of homeless advocate Mitchell Snyder.
 
I found a reading of the poem by historian Howard Zinn on YouTube, available to watch below.  As I listened, once again, I thought of the brave and tireless heroes, all, who have been out there caring for the rest of us. Their work and self-sacrifice is something we can all be grateful for as we celebrate the holidays and the coming new year in a different but perhaps more meaningful way. 

-- Nancy Jean
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Some
by Daniel Berrigan

Some stood up once, and sat down.
Some walked a mile, and walked away.

Some stood up twice, then sat down.
“It’s too much,” they cried.

Some walked two miles, then walked away.
“I’ve had it,” they cried,

Some stood and stood and stood.
They were taken for fools,
they were taken for being taken in.

Some walked and walked and walked –
they walked the earth,
they walked the waters,
they walked the air.

“Why do you stand?” they were asked, and
“Why do you walk?”

“Because of the children,” they said, and
“Because of the heart, and
“Because of the bread,”

“Because the cause is
the heart’s beat, and
the children born, and
the risen bread.”

Coming soon on GrandfathersGift.net - The surprising similarities between the problems Abraham Lincoln faced and those President-elect Joe Biden will face when he takes office. And, in the coming year we will delve more into Nancy Kendall's story. 

Guest Post by Kristine Schwartzman

Moments like these don't often come along. But, the election of Kamala Harris as Vice President is full of historic firsts that will forever change the political landscape in the United States.

Vice President-elect Harris will not only be the first woman to serve in that capacity, but also the first Asian American, and first Black Vice President. The significance of her candidacy and election inspired women and girls across the country.
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Five-year-old Andrea Richardson-George watched Kamala Harris, wearing a white Suffragist suit, give her victory speech after the election. According to her mother, Ashley Richardson-George, Andrea ran into her bedroom and came back wearing a white dress and sweater. "So, for her," Ms. Richardson-George said, "she was like, 'I can be president.' So to see that glimmer in her eyes as a parent, it really is powerful to me as her mom." Source: AP News, "Kamala Harris win inspires women and girls nationwide"

It's not just younger women who are inspired. Women of every age, many of whom waited a long time for this moment are moved by Harris's historic win.
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“I never imagined as a child growing up in the ‘50s, that I would see a woman of color as a vice presidential nominee,” 75-year-old New Yorker Judith Komaki explains. “To actually see Kamala, a woman and a person of color, ascend to this position—it opens up a dream that I had never anticipated or aspired to. It just makes my heart sing.” Source: Time Magazine, "The Historic Barriers Kamala Harris Overcame to Become the First Female, First Black and First Asian American Vice-President Elect"