Visits with Zion - funny, and tragically sad.

Funny.

 M. is a woman I see most Fridays when I go with Zion to an Assisted Living facility.

 M is in the memory unit.  She has periods of lucidity and wit, and is very fond of Zion.

 The other week she said  "he is adorable".  

 I agreed and asked  "what about me?".   

 She looked me up and down, and with a smile she said  "well, you are O.K."   She knew that she was being funny.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sad beyond words.

 As I was leaving the facility last Friday I encountered an older woman resident.  She wanted to caress Zion, and as in many other encounters she began to talk about the dogs in her life.

 I asked "where are you from?" meaning "did you live in another State before you came to Sarasota?"

 Her face darkened. "From Germany" she said. Then she went on to tell me that she and her family were able to leave Germany in 1938 when she was thirteen years old.  "Those were dark and fearful days" she said.

 Eighty years later her heart and soul remain wounded by the indescribable horrors she experienced.

 Antisemitism is always evil. It inflicts wounds down the generations.

 My encounter with this woman raised my righteous anger.  It led me to become angry about the cruel and illegal immigration policy which is being implemented by our current American White Nationalist Regime, against legitimate applicants for political asylum.

 Under what moral, legal, religious or compassionate canon is it permissible for women who seek asylum to be torn away from their beloved babies, infants and children?

 What deep damage to their souls will these little children live with eighty years hence?

 These horrendous policies are being implemented by the so-called "pro-life", and "family values" Republican Party.

 And the Democratic Party is wimping out and mostly not protesting,  in the hopes of winning seats in the November 2018 mid term elections.

 A fie on both parties, mildly mitigated by the joy which my super Zion brought to M. and to the Holocaust survivor (and brings to me each day).


















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