Our Dream

This is a collective piece, written by the amazing human beings who have supported me and inspired the Writing to Heal journey, now almost six years old. It marks the 200th blog in this project. 

People were asked to reflect on the previous piece and to finish a refrain used in Dr. King's speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 where he repeats, "We will not be satisfied until ____." 

Here, then, is our collective voice finishing that refrain in our current world, six decades later.

I will not be satisfied until

I am the best version of myself.

I am content with my life as it is.

People smile at one another as they pass by each other - instead of staring into their phones.

 

We will not be satisfied until

God's beautiful creation is at peace.

Humanity values itself and its environment

Our society sees through divisive politics and unites with common goals.

People realize that the media, left and right, have agendas and that a "news" story will be slanted to suit the narrative. Please wait until all the facts are known before flying into a rage.

 

We will not be satisfied until

There is peace and all people have access to care for their families. 

Every human, regardless of gender, is treated as equals from birth to death.

There is peace and all people have access to care for their families 

Every human being has full autonomy over their life, their choices and path forward.

 

We will not be satisfied until

Freedom is not a privilege but a birthright.

Every human mind can access quality education - regardless of the stage of life.

Every person has the opportunity to achieve equitable health outcomes.

 

We will not be satisfied until

We see and hear that the communities of color and children not feel threatened, unsafe, or harmed by action nor words from our own government. We need to do better in this U.S. Nation! 

Peace reaches all people.

All people throughout the world are given compassionate health care no matter their ability to pay for it.

We will not be satisfied until 

Our economy of extraction and unlimited “growth” one of mutual benefit, solidarity, and reciprocity towards both people and the planet.

We can see the humanity and worth in every human being.

Justice is real for everyone and we see each other for our shared humanity.

Poor children around the world are fed and safe and have a chance for a better life.

 

We will not be satisfied until

We are free from genocide.

Racism is extinct.

Everyone is treated as equal.

We can live in a world where we are not divided by hate.

 

We will not be satisfied until

Albuquerque is a place where every person has what they need to enjoy the pleasure of being alive.

Everyone feels a sense that they belong to something larger than themselves, and they see that reflected in the structures and the faces around them.

The health and well-being of children are at the center of all adult lives.

 

We will not be satisfied until

We live with love and respect in our stewardship of this earth.

Our children are safe, well-housed, well-fed, and loved.

We truly believe in the power of the creative arts to help us heal body, mind, and soul.

We make honesty, integrity, and LOVE an active part of our everyday lives.

 

We will not be satisfied until

Every unhoused individual finds shelter if they so choose.

Every empty stomach is filled.

We realize that we are ONE with all of creation.

 

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we WILL be satisfied when

Love is seen as the only reality

 +

Gratitude fills every heart to overflowing.

The Dream

Is The Dream alive?

My children ask.

My own heart wonders.

When Dr. King rose to the podium in August of 1963, 250,000 people in front of him and the nation and world tuned in, he hadn’t planned to speak of the dream. The magnificent gospel singer Mahalia Jackson who sat behind him, shouted out “Martin, tell them about the dream.”

There are two themes in Dr. King’s speech in the moments before he decides to share about The Dream that I think are worth visiting.

First, a litany of lines that begin with “We cannot be satisfied until…”

He points out the many ways that racism continues to limit those of color, despite advances that the Civil Rights Movement had made.

Dr. King’s words:

We cannot be satisfied as long as the colored person’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.

We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “for white only.”

We cannot be satisfied as long as a colored person in Mississippi cannot vote and a colored person in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.

Today, we might update the list. Our country and world still leaves behind too many, with greed and power threatening love and justice. I encourage you to make your individual list, “I will not be satisfied until ____”. Fill it in as many ways as you can. It might point you into directions of service and leadership for 2026, places where you can work on The Dream.

Dr. King ends that section with a powerful line that still rings true as a guide for today:

No, no we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

The second theme comes in the line before he begins to share about The Dream. Can you remember this line? It is an admittance that there is good reason to want to give up. I sense that amongst my friends and neighbors at the moment. Too much heaviness. Too much violence. Not enough humanity and compassion. Not enough care for our ailing planet.

Here is the line:

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you, today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment,

I still have a dream.

It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My brothers and sisters, we let the “I am not satisfied until…” to re-commit ourselves to our neighbors and communities, to the pursuit of a more just society, and to the work of The Beloved Community. 

And we also acknowledge the despair as something to be overcome together, in community.

And then, we say in unison with Dr. King that despite the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, we are here to continue the work of The Dream.

 

Drawing from my daughter Shandiin

Meeting the excitement and pressure of the new year

8^th day of the new year.

A great moment to check in. How are you doing? How are you feeling? Energy level?

The first days of the new year come with a lot of excitement and a lot of pressure.

Excitement for the sense of renewal, and becoming better versions of ourselves. Excitement in putting the last year to rest and starting with a clean slate. Excitement at putting down some old habits and picking up some new habits.

Pressure to become better, to change, to have ambitious goals. We feel that pressure each time someone innocently asks us about our new year’s resolutions. However, a lot of the pressure in January is self-inflicted. It comes from a very good place – our desire to improve and enhance our lives and our living. And pressure, whether external or internal, can be a very good motivator for us to do things we would not otherwise do. Think back to coaches, teachers, and bosses you have had. The ones that got the most out of you probably did so through a healthy amount of pressure to succeed.

A few thoughts as we link arms to accept the challenge and opportunity that 2026 provides us, motivated by both the excitement and pressure to make some good changes.

First, the need to be flexible. I had a patient this week who proudly told me they want to exercise every day this year. It was the 5^th day of the year when they told me, and they had not yet started. So, their ability to move the start date back a few days is going to be a key to their success. Many folks who set the same goal would have already given up if they hadn’t started on January 1^st.

Second, if you don’t feel like you have had a chance to set meaningful goals for 2026, make space to do just that. The holidays can get busy and lots of us emerge from them without having had the time to reflect on what we want to work on. Take part or even the entire month of January to come up with goals for yourself. This isn’t a timed test. Take as much time as you need.

Third, find and build your community that will support you in these goals. Life is a much easier game when we are surrounded by family and friends, neighbors and classmates, co-workers and supporters. Strengthening your community may even become a goal in itself for the new year.

Last, once you have goals in hand, I like the 3-2-1 method for getting started. Think about the 3-day, 2-week and 1-month perspective on the goal. This is the art of making bite sized morsels out of an overwhelmingly-sized cake. Take, for example, a goal of trying to learn to swim. The 3-day goal might be to sign-up for swim lessons. The two-week goal might be to find a bathing suit. And the 1-month goal might be to have had a few lessons, to feel slightly more comfortable in the water. The bigger goal has been broken into immediate, achievable steps.

Have fun as we kick off the 2026 journey together.