The New Year: A Gift of the Innocents

I've taken a hiatus from the "Dear Maura" blog for the latter part of 2008. I have no wild alien chases to report nor can I say I'm unpacking from an African safari. Family obligations, our work lives (and book projects) can beckon us toward black holes. But black holes not withstanding, a few highlights I'll share here: 

In October, I had the good fortune of flying to my home town of Long Beach and attending the California Women's Conference organized by California First Lady Maria Shriver's office. I had seen Ms. Shriver interviewed earlier on Oprah; I was moved by her introspection as she wrestled with issues more soul-related than "celebrity" oriented (i.e. asking "Who am I, really?!") At the conference, Shriver spoke to 14,000 women, inviting all of us to name our deepest fears, get brave, and take them on--for that is the only way we blossom into our natural selves. Such advice may sound simplistic, but so often we hide within the comfort of contrived acceptability, rather than face our deepest longings, or, yes, take on that question: Who am I, really?!

When "She's All Eyes" came out and I was on book tour, I answered many questions about life growing up with a Hoover-era, FBI agent father.  It was fun reminiscing about Dad taking me to school in his special agent car (forbidden!) and a hoot to meet other daughters-of-agents (FBI girls!)  It also seemed easier, lighter to talk about this FBI world than to chatter on about life with my brother named Joe, who happened to be born with Down syndrome.  (What's Sarah Palin talking about these days?)

My father taught me about the dark world: Joe (to whom I dedicated She's All Eyes) taught me about the bright heart. He beamed his golden rays upon us all. Still does. But, heck, how do I talk about the force of love when it seems, or so I thought, people prefer to gulp up stories about the force of evil.

What if people like Joe (or anybody we label as "different") are here on this planet to challenge that assumption? Who would we be--really--if our lives were organized around principles of a different "force."  This question is fraught with fear. It rattles our apple carts. What new, natural self might blossom in a time acknowledging the gifts of the innocents?  

These are questions for me this New Year. What are yours?