there's been a quiet certainty growing in me...like the eternal flame that hung over the altar by the Torah at Temple Concord....i can almost see it flicker in my belly, as the peacefulness and steadfastness takes root once again. today, i watched history as President Obama stepped front and center. no matter who you voted for, the moment had to give you pause. and hopefulness. it seems as though the "business as usual" crowd will be less in fashion. i hope i'm right. i'm not usually in fashion myself. tonight i got word from my brother that a long-lost cousin had made contact with him. we are fewer now that my aunt Beatrice has passed away. (married to SamTheGarbage)(okay - whenever my Uncle Sam would leave the house, Aunt Beattie would yell "Sam! The garbage!" so he'd remember to bring it downstairs. i thought that was his name for a while). it's been too long since i've connected with my father's family. way too long. and my mother's family is gone. perhaps this historic day will signal the beginning of healing - in the nation, and in my family. L.