On My Knees: Another Thursday Reflection

I don't often find myself on my knees, except when I clean the

bathroom. The bathroom is not large and restoring it to sparkling normally only takes 20 minutes or so. 

This morning, however, as I scrubbed the toilet, I started to sob. 
To weep.

The image of immigrants on their knees cleaning someone else's bathroom washed over me. I thought about all those who clean hotel rooms, pluck turkeys and chickens for our Thanksgiving dinners, drive cabs hoping they know where to go, and change diapers for the very young and the very old. They do our dirty work, the work we don't want to do, and they do it in order to be in this country and to find a better life for themselves. 

I stopped what I was doing and sat back holding on to the base of the pedestal sink and continued to cry. I cried for the children and  the parents, all who not only have experienced trauma in their native countries, but now what have we done, but add on more trauma. And we have done so in the name of the law. 

I always thought the law was there to protect, to bring stability and order, but what we are now doing in our country is creating greater instability. This kind of trauma does not go away, but morphs into depression or even violence. Just ask vets who suffer from PTSD. 

Many have written eloquently about this crisis of morality. Many have asked the questions, "Is this who we are?" Well, apparently, yes, this is who we are and will continue to be until we stop this cycle of adding on layers of historic trauma. The repercussions of slavery in this country has not been enough for us to mend our ways nor was the removal of Native Americans from their homes and culture and forcing them into boarding schools nor the internment of Japanese Americans in WWII. Will what we have done now interrupt this cycle? 

I remain on my knees, praying that is the case.

An Invitation
I invite you to fall on your knees, too. 

NOTE: This is a bonus post because I needed to write. I needed to find words. I will take a writing break the week of June 25 and return the week of July 2.