It's easy to get cynical. But cynicism takes us to a dark place, so when we feel ourselves sinking, we need to find reasons to climb back up. We don't need a miracle to do this. We just need each other.
Community restores our sanity and humanity. In this issue of MU Voices, you'll find a community of writers, photographers, and one artist who give us reasons to shrug off cynicism. Marwah Ayache writes about the tension between her Lebanese and American identities, LeAnne Campbell and Dequonte Maxwell write about the joy of love, and Jillian Law shares a story about a team of unlikely and endearing female superheroes. Daccarette Thomas inspires us with her essay on the liberating power of education, and the poetry of Vicki Khzouz and Patrick Gonsior echoes the sting of loss. Jackie Pruitt shares her grandmother's wisdom.I write about the Writing Center's imaginary take-over of the U.S. government (for our grammarian community). Andre ("Dre") Wilson's artwork honors past idols, and Marian Gonsior's photos of France and Spain remind us that communities can cross borders. Photographs from the Franciscan Day of Service show us how the Madonna community's boundaries keep expanding.
During this holiday season, remember your own communities: your family, your friends, your classmates, your colleagues, your neighbors. They will help you--and you will help them--through this challenging time in our history. And keep in mind the words of Martin Luther King Jr.: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
-- Frances FitzGerald
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