Only Love Can Do That

Monday, I attended Brownwood's 8th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Celebration at the MLK Plaza, on the corner of West Commerce and Austin Avenue. I spent a little bit of time greeting people that I had not seen in a while and visiting with those that I see often.

This was the first year I have been able to attend. I stood off to the side watching and listening as the ceremony began. Off to my left the Brownwood High School band queued up to play "The Star Spangled Banner."

Turning to face the flag, I placed my hand over my heart.

As I faced the flag, I also faced the street. As the band played, I was brought to tears by what I saw.

A gentleman driving a pickup truck rolled to a stop at the stop light. His window was rolled down and as soon as he heard the band playing the familiar notes of the national anthem, he immediately removed his cowboy hat out of respect.

Tears sprang to my eyes as I watched this older gentleman, gently waving his hand in time to the beat as if directing the song himself.

When I tore my eyes away from him, I glanced past his vehicle to the other side of the street. There a man stood, as if waiting to cross the street, but instead of crossing when it was his turn to walk, he stood still with his cap off and covering his heart.

I listened to the band play the last few notes before blinking my eyes rapidly to dispel the moisture that threatened to spill over.

Different community members and speakers took turns at the podium, each sharing inspiration.

At the end of the ceremony, we were invited to hold hands with the person standing next to us as we closed out in prayer. Holding hands with the person on my left and my right, I reflected on one of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s quotes, "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."

Standing in that group of 200 plus people, holding hands as a unified group was an overwhelming sensation.

I flashed back to another quote of Martin Luther King, Jr's that was read during one of the speeches. He said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

I'm thankful that Kiera is growing up in a community that openly shows pride for our country and respects its leaders from history, like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I'm grateful for the history, what we have learned and how we can grow.

Rowonna McNeely her husband, Aaron are regular volunteers in the community, and have their hands full with their daughter, Kiera, along with three dogs and one cat.

Thank you for sharing in our weekly journeys. If you have missed any of our past stories, check out our blog page at www.lifea2k.net or drop us a line at lifea2k@yahoo.com.