this fine country?

I've spent some time recently trying to reconcile what we're proud of here, as Americans.
Besides women who play soccer, OMG.

The news makes it feel mostly difficult to embrace any type of patriotic optimism,
and sometimes my own efforts seem like a mess.

I can't brush my teeth without my mind turning to cold concrete floors
and I can barely get through a poem without tears.

It's not dumb skin or smart skin, 
or keep us apart skin;
or weak skin or strong skin, 
I'm right and you're wrong skin.

Footage of families torn apart at the border and civil rights lessons on the very same bus Rosa rode,
and the boys begin to understand that bad news for brown people is bad news for all of us.

How can we show that we love this country, just not the current version of it? Maybe we need to acknowledge interdependence as a holiday too?

The boys are learning that life extends when you include more people. Each of us brings something, and our vision of community ought to be big enough to see it all,
on the playground or in the church pew, at the dinner table and at the beach.

Together we recall King's love, Hamilton's grit, and try to create in our own small ways a nation of every day kindness, neighborly compassion.
We talk about Washington's honor, Obama's hope, share pride with LGBTQ friends, and acknowledge the sacrifices of soldiers.
And we read books.

A citizen can pick up litter
A citizen can pull a weed 
A citizen can help that critter 
A citizen can plant a seed 
A citizen can aid a neighbor 
A citizen can join a cause 
A citizen can write a letter 
A citizen can help change laws

So about this fine country of ours? Maybe we can make it fine...

The Skin You Live In (text)
What Can a Citizen Do? (text)
The Scrambled States of America (photo)