Here we are at Juneteenth weekend and even white people are celebrating Juneteenth this year. Hopefully, it is the beginning of a new American holiday. Here in 2020, Juneteenth weekend is quite full as it shares space with Solstice and the official start of summer as well as Father’s Day.  That’s not enough for us so we’ve also added covid-19 pandemic and serious racial unrest following blatant police brutality. America is finally waking up to the ongoing racism that dates back to slavery days. Most white people seem to want it to change, even though they know it will make them uncomfortable. But some people want to keep the horrors alive. They are proud that America now stands for hatred and injustice.

Such weird times in 2020. I never thought my elder years would be spent witnessing these events. There is no possibility to ignore it or deny it. These things are all real. They have made the world look at us anew, with expressions of disappointment and disdain.

Yet, in this moment I’m taking a little time to think about Father’s Day. I would love to talk to you about all these things. I know you would be conservative about them and you would have compassion. I think we would have one of our wonderfully deep conversations maybe at sunset when the long day winds down and prepares to defer to the night. But you’ve used up all your sunsets and I’m here on my own. Relishing the golden light at the end of the day.

My love of sociology, literature, and philosophy all come from you. And it’s not so easy in these days of loving money more than humans to find people who indulge the discussions as easily as you and I would.

I miss you. If I could have anything this weekend, it would be a long conversation with you.