I quickly wrote about a situation that I was presented with a couple of days ago. I am so moved by the response that I have received from friends and readers. All I can say is thank you for your kindness and words of encouragement. This work can be grinding and some days feel futile. I was particularly feeling that sense of futility a couple of days ago.

Your responses to me via e-mail and by phone helped to restore my spirits and lifted my energy level. Thank you again.

A short update on the situation…

The friends who I reached out to have been terrific. The family peacemaking circle is set for next Tuesday. They have even agreed to accompany the young man and his family to court next week.

Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of what we are facing in terms of the prison industrial complex, I try to remember that ultimately it is individual relationships that provide solace and support. These relationships are key to making change. One person at a time can be slow and feel inadequate to the scale and scope of the problem. Yet this is what I could do a couple of days ago. This is what I could offer.