Texas's Lost Little Girls
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LISTENING: to the coffee shop chatter
FEELING: ready for some time off
SEEING: the great people of new york
When I read about the tragedy at Camp Mystic, Texas — the river that swelled, the floodwaters that rushed in, the government inaction that killed — all I could think about was my niece. My 9-year-old baby girl. The light in my life. My mini me. My diva. My little love. My Mills.
Any one of these girls could've been one of her friends. Mary Kate Jacobe was only 8. Lainey Landry was just 9. Hadley Hanna was also 8. As was Linnie McCown. They had so much life left to live: so many friendships to spark, slumber parties to earn, hair strands to braid, songs to sing, hearts to break. That was all cut short. And their blood is on the hands of politicians who refuse to respond to the climate crisis.
At the heart of climate justice is a recognition that those who contributed the least to our planet's destruction will bear the highest cost. And who's the most vulnerable? Children. They inherited this world. They didn't build it.
Children didn't cut investments in clean energy. They didn't delay the installation of emergency alert systems. Children dream. They recognize evil. They question and challenge. And, most importantly, they love fiercely — their family, their friends, their community, the Earth.
Adults are the ones who slowly erode the sweetest parts of our kids.
I teach my niece that revolution is joyful. That we must love our neighbors. That everyone deserves dignity. That we stand up to bullies. That the government should serve us. I also teach her to be prepared — that we must now look out for tornadoes and floods and flames. That our world is scary, but it's a little less scary when we lean on each other.
Hold the little ones in your life close. My heart is with the parents in Texas. I wish to never know their grief, yet I fear disaster will soon come for us all. We are not untouchable. We are merely human. 🌀
My family is facing another crisis of our own. I mentioned in last week's newsletter, and my community came together to set up a GoFundMe. Please donate if you can or share.
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