I called my aunt Barbara today (Barbara Coit Turner). I knew
the call would pick up my day, because at 93 she is a woman of constant
goodness who appreciates every day and loves the world around her.
Today we talked about canning tomatoes, some of which she'll
take down to the local senior center. Recently she had a chance to share her
squash with them.
One of the reasons that she's such a fabulous person goes
back to when she was in high school in Syracuse. Back in the 1930s America was
a lot more racist than it is today. Her mother had a friend who was
African-American and Barbara was brought up to believe that God created
everybody equal.
Aunt Barbara doesn't think twice that my wife is Chinese and
that I have a daughter whose grandparents were in the Holocaust. As long as
people have good manners she'll open a welcoming door. I'm extremely lucky to
know her and her offspring. She still lives on the family farm, although these
days only vegetables greet the morning sun. Whenever I despair of all the
people who support Donald Trump, I think of her and know that out there in
America there are good people who have their heads on straight.
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