Motherhood May Just Be the Great Equalizer and the Key to Healing Our Great Country

Photo by Liv Bruce on Unsplash

It’s early Sunday morning. I’m sitting in my backyard, in my suburban neighborhood, listening to a singsong voice from the neighboring cul-de-sac chant “Soooo Big!” The sound of uncontrolled laughter from what I assume is a toddler-aged boy follows, and the corners of my mouth turn up in a grin. A thick patch of tall trees separates my home from the neighbor’s, but I don’t need a clear line of vision to see the young child throwing his arms in the air. Give the kid a few more years and he’ll be hollering “Touchdown” with the exact same gesture.

Childhood pastimes and rituals unite many of us around the globe, providing commonality beyond broader categories like cultures, histories, and political opinions. Many of life’s simplicities can cross boundaries and appeal to a diverse constituency. Take movies, books, nursery rhymes and games. Their universal appeal can strengthen us, enabling people from all walks of life to start talking, sharing perspectives and hopefully learning how to understand and accept others who are not exactly the same as we are.

For sake of conversation, let’s make an assumption. Picture George Floyd’s mom chanting the same “Sooo Big” jingle to her son when he was young. He may not have lived on a cul-de-sac, and who knows whether he had trees in his…