Rest in peace Fred Jr.

Today my family drove across the historic Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma, Alabama.  Today we buried my older brother, my father’s namesake. So much weight, so many thoughts about blood.

Blood carries life. It tells its story. It carries history. It guards. Blood recognizes the unfamiliar, the thing that threatens its being and instinctively protects. Unless it’s broken. It tries to fix itself. Sometimes it can, Sometimes it can’t. Its brokenness can be detrimental. Blood carries pain, generational curses, generational prayers, victory. It keeps flowing from heir to heir, endlessly moving through time. Blood carries health, or lack thereof. It fuels tenacity, makes declarations, suffers from regret.  Blood carries problems, answers, life, death, power, poverty, longevity, brevity, all the differences of humanity. It expresses beauty, ugliness, uniqueness, commonality. It has washed away iniquity, covered faults, fought wars, coveted peace. Blood has shed itself for injustices, hate, all the isms…Blood carries connections.  Blood carries promises, hope. Most importantly blood carries love. 

Rest in peace Fred Jr. We love you.