My dear ones - this week we were flooded with images, sounds, and timelines from the attack on Congress on January 6. They returned us to the horrors of that day in a deep and immediate way. And then, we were flooded with lies and evasions from the so-called defense (see sources below the photo). All of this played out in the context of attempts to “give cover” to Republican senators to acquit, as opposed to constructing a commitment to restorative justice. For that, it seems, we must wait, or build it ourselves.
Today is Valentine’s Day, set aside to celebrate love of all kinds. If the impeachment trial put hatred on display, Valentine’s Day invites us to turn our attention to the ways we can express our love for one another - romantic love, friendship love, family love, neighborly love, love for humankind, love for this beautiful planet that supports and nourishes us all.
My beloved is home this weekend, as he will be for several weeks, recovering from surgery to repair his rotator cuff. We count our blessings: surgery went well, his pain is less than many feel after this procedure, health insurance and paid leave give us room to focus on healing.
Post-op day two, we woke to about four inches of overnight snow - and our neighbor shoveling our walk. This neighbor has done so before, and shoveled this time before knowing of my beloved’s incapacity. Another friend had cleared our front porch and steps, before either of us were up. Two friends provided reclining chairs, essential for safe sleep post-surgery (no rolling over on the recovering shoulder). Calls and texts checking in have been non-stop, and we received a (safely distanced) door-to-door delivery of homemade scones and brownies.
Within and among all the blessings, there are the reminders that caregiving is a job. Paperwork to ensure benefit eligibility. Tracking medications and exercises. Adjusting slings and pillows and blankets for comfort.
We are also getting a crash course in empathy for anyone with mobility challenges: we find ourselves amazed by how many daily tasks call upon two hands. Opening jars, spreading butter on bread, cutting food, tying shoes. Not to mention removing the sling in order to do the gentle movements that bring circulation and range of motion back to his arm, and replacing it afterwards. How would anyone do this if they were on their own?
The expressions of love we’ve been immersed in for the last five days are a powerful antidote to the darker visions from January 6, and the acquittal vote that followed.
On every lane, roadway, and path in our human world, just as on our street, acts of care occur every day. These are the true and enduring building blocks of a free, fair, inclusive, healthy society. In the impeachment trial and vote, we witnessed evidence of the ethic of power and the destruction it inevitably brings to those who embrace it. On a day devoted to love, we witness the ethic of care and the love it inevitably amplifies.
Be well, stay healthy, take care of yourselves and one another.
Fact-check of the impeachment defense claims: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/us/politics/donald-trump-lawyers-fact-check
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/02/13/trump-attorneys-falsely-claim-he-was-denied-due-process/
The “cover” of unconstitutionality:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/13/us/mcconnell-trump-impeachment-acquittal