celebrating family

Today I'm going to boast about my family. Yes, things in the world are even more dire today than they were last week. The stunning hypocrisy of the religious right in the States is nauseating, enraging - forcing poor women to carry babies they often don't want and can't afford, while showing no interest at all in living children. Loathsome. When the marches start, I'll be there.

But it's summer and roses scent the world. So I'll try not to elevate my blood pressure by thinking of horrors. Instead, I'll think about triumphs.

Edgar didn't tell me, I found out from Anna, that he recently won a prestigious award. The Victor Shargai Leadership Award (VSLA) recognizes individuals, groups, or institutions whose outstanding service and creative leadership have strengthened the Washington, DC-area theatre community. 

Edgar Dobie serves as the Executive Producer at the Tony Award-winning non-profit Arena Stage, which he has led for over a decade. Edgar’s leadership has extended Arena’s reach beyond its stages and into the community, demonstrating collaborative leadership and consensus-building as a champion of theatre throughout the area. His effective advocacy, personal generosity, and commitment to theatre in the life of our community exemplify the spirit of this award.

Anna was one of the main workers with her group Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin last weekend, at a huge Indigenous festival at which they provided much of the food. She recruited her brother who spent two days helping cook vast quantities of chicken. 

The one with the tattoos is my boy.

The one with the biggest smile is my girl. 

One of her Indigenous friends wrote to her on FB:

Oh Anna.. my sweet, dear, non-practicing wyte. My Nish kwe by association. The greatest ally to every community except her own. Lmao. Chi gzaagin/I love you very much! Chi Miigwetch for everything you do for and with the community. You are so loved and so cherished and we are so, so lucky to have you in our corner. Your heart is just humungous and I'm soooooo blessed that creator allowed our paths to cross. You quickly became a bestie and for that and EVERYTHING else.. thank you.

Sam is over three months sober, figuring out what's next while coping with his energetic pup, who has a heart problem. He's producing a "gofundme" for himself and Bandit tomorrow, barbecuing at a friend's donated restaurant. His dad and I will be there. 

Anyone who wants to contribute is invited to write to samueljacobdobie@gmail.com. He'll be grateful. 

And finally, in the celebration category, I just finished two books by my new favourite writer, Helen Humphreys: Nocturne, about the too-early death of her concert pianist brother, and The Lost Garden, a novel set in Britain in 1941, both exquisite, haunting, beautifully written. I'm embarrassed I hadn't discovered them before now.

Out of the blue, I just started singing one of the loveliest songs from one of my favourite musicals, Chorus Line:

Gone
Love is never gone
As we travel on
Love's what we'll remember

Kiss today goodbye
And point me toward tomorrow
We did what we had to do
Won't forget, can't regret

What I did for

Love