Kindness and the Election : Jill Berry Blog

Kindness and the Election

Posted on March 13, 2008 - Filed Under Artist Friends

I am having a complex time of it lately. First of all, I am an election delegate for the first time. Seems I have some rather strong views that, interestingly enough, are being satisfied by this process. It also means that the phone rings all day long from people who want my support. Add on a layer to this big cake: I am the mother of two spirited darlings, 8 and 9 years old, and I am trying to teach and make art. The layer on top of that is that my friends in San Diego suffered enormous losses in the fires there this year. My heart is full of concerns.

Driven by a strong need to help in some way, I decided to make ink from the fire remains and use it to make calligraphic prayer flags as a fundraising effort for my friends at Camp Stevens, a summer camp in San Diego that is dear to my heart. They have extensive fire damage, and serve so many people per year I am putting my effort there. One of the internet groups I belong to was helpful in the ink making recipes, and off I go to the races.

How do all of these subject hand together? Last week I had a long and very frustrating day of election and grade school issues. At the end of it, I arrived home to a beautiful package in my post box. I am telling you, it pays to have artists as friends. I open that package and inside is a flaming orange tie-dyed t-shirt from Virginia Tech. You know what happened there. It is from Ann Van Tassell, someone on my cyberscribe group I have never met. A student group from Virginia Tech made these shirts as a fundraiser for the San Diego Fire Victims, and she was moved to send one to me. She also made the beautiful calligraphy here, and sent a warm personal note on the back.

The note ends with these words “all it seems we can do is keep on being as kind as we can to each other.”

If Ann ran for office, I would vote for her. If someone like her was my child’s teacher, I would be happy. If everyone acted like she has, and kept the river of benevolence winding through the country, wouldn’t we all be dancing? Thank you Ann. I so very much appreciate your lovely gift.