Sarah King: Change is messy

2020 is not letting up. We watched Australia burn in January. Then, come March, we began the quarantine. Our children have been without their friends and teachers most of the year. We've become teachers and camp counselors, trying to be everything our kids are missing.

Now it’s June, and the country is burning because we’ve ignored racism for far too long. I have honestly stopped saying, “It can’t get worse," because, at this point, we all know it certainly can. I’ve been trying to come up with a way to make sense of it all, in hopes that the clarity will help me explain it and discuss it with my family.

When I am feeling stressed, there are often mantras that will pop ip in my brain. Somehow, my inner voice knows exactly what I need to hear to give me the strength to continue.

I have cried while watching the George Floyd video. I was again moved to tears watching the powerful Black Lives Matter protests. I have had tears of sorrow and anger, witnessing what happened to our downtown after it fell into the hands of looters and vandals.

Thankfully, a phrase popped up that has been giving me strength: Change is messy.

Anytime real change happens, things get very messy first. Think about the last time you moved. Or cleaned out your closet. If you’ve had a baby, you know that changing the size of your family is definitely messy.

Our country is a mess right now. I am hoping it is a good sign of change to come. We have to break the normal way of doing things in order to fix them.

I’ve shared this phrase not only with my husband and son, but with many friends as well. It always seems to open a positive conversation. Now is the time for change. Gather your family and figure out the most productive way that you can add to conversation and help clean up what has begun.

Here are some websites where you can read, eat out, donate, and educate yourself: