When my daughter went off to college for the first time this year, she asked my wife and me to each make a piece of art about our home for her dorm room. Caroline made a neighborhood painting and I made this still life of tea and coffee. Our neighborhood community gathers us and the ritual of sharing tea and coffee allows us to come yet closer.

When the election of 2016 was ramping up, growing tired of the FB noise, I decided my role in the sprawling conversation was to bring a little beauty each time I went on-line. So I started labeling posts with the “One Beautiful Thing” tag and tried to maintain positive energy and emotion. It’s been hard as we all know to soldier through these times where hate and aversion dominate the content and structure of so many interactions.

Now we are left to wonder how to best speak against the hateful actions that killed 11 and caused so much pain and suffering for so many yesterday in Pittsburgh and around the world. Is it enough to speak quietly about beauty and hope? Is it better to wade into the middle with fists raised? How is our respect and love for each other best spoken in all of this noise? With a shout? With a whisper?… I don’t know… If you know, tell me what you think.