There was a magic mouse hole,
when I grew up.
It had been drawn, 
by an older sister,
when she was little.

It lived on the other side of a chimney,
drawn in white,
between the bricks.
Later another sibling 
drew a door to go with the mouse hole.

While we all read Narnia
and the Lord of the Rings
That magic mouse hole sat
waiting for someone to slip in the key.
I know I did.

On the other side,
I saw seven set of foot prints,
each going off to their own adventures.
I can only guess where they went,
given where they ended up.

I could always tell when they had visited,
because the next day,
they would have that far away look in their eyes,
and their minds would start wandering,
finally their feet did to. 

Eventually a bookshelf was put, 
in front of that hole and door.
It, however, did not help because,
you could always tell,
when someone had visited the other side.

Long years later,
We sold that house.
I made sure however,
to leave that mouse hole and door,
for the next children in that house. 

Reflecting on years of working with patients and their families, as well as working in the community.  I was struck today by the power of math.  Zero is an amazing number.  Anything added to zero stays the same.   Zero is neither positive or negative.  So many times I see people bring zero to a relationship or a community project.  First they don’t show up, or show up in person but bring zero to the relationship or project.  This often happens when I am negotiating at meetings between two parties. The first is trying to effect change, but the second party has brought zero to the meeting.  The only way change can happen is if the first party wants to persist knowing that the second party has nothing to add, or subtract.  Now remember anything times-ed by zero is zero.  I run into these people as well.   Any project, tasks, activity, or relationship they are involved in ends up with nothing there.   The group can be making great progress adding their skills and abilities, then they try to times their sum efforts by zero, and then nothing is left. The problem is that we often know to look out for the negative people or groups.  But the zeroes often end up taking us by surprise.

To all the mother’s everywhere, I support your right to work at a decent minimum wage.

I support your right to have paid maternity leave.

I support your right to make health care decisions, including your right to have an abortion, if that is what is best for you and your family.

I support your right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to not be a victim of domestic violence.

I support your right to have your daughters as well as your sons attend schools and to pursue their education.

I support your right to not have your children or yourselves killed by drone strikes or by armed conflicts.

I support your right to vote and to have a say in choosing your elected leaders.

I support your right to express your sexuality whether that be as a heterosexual, lesbian, bisexual, or trans person.

I support your right to marry the person who is the love of your life, even if they are of your own gender.

I support your right to stop the practice of Female genital mutilation (FGM) for your daughter’s and grand daughters.

I support your right to try to end the practice of mass incarceration of your fathers, husbands, sons, and increasingly daughters.

I support your right to live in areas that are not areas of concentrated poverty and to have your children attend high quality inclusive schools.

I support your right to raise your son’s and daughters to be powerful people in their community no matter what your race, ethnicity, or social economic status is.

I support your right to breast feed in public when your baby is hungry.

I support your right to pray and worship the God or the truth that calls and speaks to you, even if that God or truth does not speak to me.

I support your right to work or to stay home, there is no one path to being a mother.

I support your right to take long baths, have friends, have loves, and drink good wine.

I support your right to garden, and to plant seeds that grow.

I support your right to paint, draw, write, sketch, and to appreciate good jokes.

I support your right to love those close to you, as well as your right to be loved dearly, passionately, and closely.

I also support your right to say that more the half of the things I have listed are not your values or wants.  This is just as I support your right to tell me everything important to you that I forgot.