Give peace a chance… to grow in us and through us.

Lake Street of Minneapolis was a far cry and 20-mile drive from any suburban walks routined during the pandemic. For me I had to see how close I had been to where it came down. I had biked the midtown greenway just a few blocks from where many businesses were torched, ransacked and left for ruin. I had rode by myself or with my husband on a day a lot like today, yesterday or a few weeks ago.

Today we went to sense. In the aftermath of the destruction, we saw people there like ourselves. Curious of the occurrences of the last weeks yet taking steps and exercising faith. I took a few photos. I stepped a little too close to torched businesses left with barely any structure or framework. We walked by a deer who wandered into a cemetery -maybe a little like many of us. We cheered for people volunteering, showing unison. We made a turn and found the peacefulness of Powderhorn Park. We continued walking to the corner grocery, the Cup Foods where George Floyd’s memorial stands and crowds gathered. We read names and signs, left flowers, and took breath with others.

Nearby was a make shift cemetery. Someone had made white tombstones with the names of others killed. It represented the children and adults killed. On a hill, it said, “Say their names.” We said their names. We took notice of their ages and cities. We continued walking and enjoyed the smell of food trucks, a normalcy for Minneapolis. We saw owners in front of their boarded up restaurants and businesses, showing their presence, painting over words of hate.

We saw hope. We walked for miles. We asked for peace. We teared up. We bought tacos to go on the street and stopped and talked to people we knew. We looped back to the car and drove through more miles of neighborhoods that were hurting. I’m choosing to remember there are people there. There are people coming caring, carrying bags, sharing words. The helpers. The peacemakers. The people who do the one right thing and keep doing it. Taking steps. Steps on the broken places. Steps of assurance and hope and courage to mend.