Author Archives: jyourist

Miracles

Posted on October 27, 2020 by jyourist

As the foundations of democracy threaten to crumble and crash, as decency and tolerance and moral imperative seem to become more and more invisible (non-existent even), as animosity and hatred replace civil discourse, in the midst of all this, a … Continue reading →

Posted in family, light | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Smoke Signals

Posted on October 10, 2020 by jyourist

According to Wikipedia, “The smoke signal is one of the oldest forms of long-distance communication. It is a form of visual communication used over a long distance. In general smoke signals are used to transmit news, signal danger, or gather people to … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, democracy, election 2020, postcards, voting | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Kate’s Flag

Posted on September 26, 2020 by jyourist

This is my grandmother’s American flag. It has 48 stars, before Alaska and Hawaii became states. I remember my father telling me that this flag was the very first thing she purchased when she came to the United States over … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, democracy, equity, father | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Exercise We all Need to be Doing

Posted on September 16, 2020 by jyourist

Many years ago my sister and her wife bought me a punching bag for my birthday, an Everlast. It was gifted as a way for me to get some aerobic exercise especially in the cold winter months. We put it … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, change, exercise, politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

We are all Hungry Ghosts

Posted on September 2, 2020 by jyourist

Today is the Hungry Ghost Festival celebrated during the seventh month of the lunar calendar, known as Ghost Month, coinciding with the full moon. It is celebrated in Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism and also in many East Asian folk religions. On … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhism, enlightenment, oneness, reincarnation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The battle is formally joined

Posted on August 20, 2020 by jyourist
Posted in democracy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Squirrels 8, Jan 42

Posted on August 15, 2020 by jyourist

I don’t mind sharing with the squirrels, but they take one or two bites and then leave the tomato to rot! I wish they would at least finish what is on their plate before they reach for another.

Posted in garden, nature | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

My Aunt and the Black Lawn Jockey

Posted on August 5, 2020 by jyourist

My aunt, my mother’s twin, had a black lawn jockey on her front lawn. It appeared some time in the 60s in the midst of the Civil Rights movement. My cousin, my aunt’s daughter, told me that actually her mother … Continue reading →

Posted in African-Americans, civil rights, equity, family, twins, white privilege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Together You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation

Posted on July 30, 2020 by jyourist

This was printed in the Opinion Column of the New York Times today, July 30, 2020. Mr. Lewis, the civil rights leader who died on July 17, wrote this essay shortly before his death, to be published upon the day … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, African-Americans, civil rights, democracy, justice, voting | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Shiso for my mother

Posted on July 26, 2020 by jyourist

This year the shiso is growing everywhere, three kinds– green, red, and bi-color. Last year we let all the shiso go to seed and the plant– lush, resilient, and exuberant — has placed itself into every nook and cranny in … Continue reading →

Posted in garden, mother | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments