We're Stronger Together - wayne centrone

Whenever things feel overwhelming, I remember the boys at the Casa Girasoles. They ground me. They call me to do more. They remind me we can do more. And, we must!

It has been a rough couple of weeks. 

I don't think it matters where a person finds themself on the long continuum that is life, the past couple of weeks have been stressful.


​This morning brought the sort of closure the U.S. and the world needs. The U.S. presidential election winner has been announced and a new government will take shape over the coming months. There is a palpable exuberance in many places - including our household.

There is, however, a great division. A big divide. People feel separated more than ever. The issues of politics are just a proxy for a much bigger undercurrent of distrust and fear. It is a challenge for so many - that unifying feels nearly impossible.

Is it? Is it impossible for us to come together, to rally around a cause bigger than ourselves? I think so. I think we are capable of so much more when we set aside our challenges and focus on the collective opportunities.

The global pandemic is here to stay. The impacts . . . tremendous morbidity, devastating loss of life, economic disruption, social upending - they'll be with us for decades to come. To heal, to create a world where we can collectively say everyone has an opportunity to live the life they deserve - we need to come together. We need to heal through our collective commitment to one another.

This won't be easy. Entrenchment, tribalism, deep-seated anger - all of these things have made us completely suspicious of the "them" of our communities. We've built walls that prevent us from truly knowing one another. From truly embracing one another. And, just like walls are built - they can be unbuilt. We can deconstruct the barriers. We can unite.

It will, however, require we join together to build the world everyone deserves. We can be bridges or we can be walls, but we can't be both. Let's unite as bridges of hope. We can do this . . . together.

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