Phenomenal, Always

Such a loss, such a life. Maya Angelou’s passing yesterday feels significant because it is significant. The world has lost a friend. One of her greatest gifts, besides her words and wisdom, was her generosity of spirit. She made every single one of us feel like she cared about us, because she did. Her gentleness in the face of a life filled with several lives worth of hardship never ceases to amaze. A kind light has left us, but her heart remains eternal.

To quote the phenomenal woman herself:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Maya made us all feel human, that most basic connection that binds us despite differences in our skin or our loves or our languages or our backgrounds. She was the rainbow in all of our clouds. Her spirit rises with us still, always. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

My Weekend Crush

Dr. Maya Angelou, that Phenomenal Woman, turns 80 today. Nothing I could write could ever compare to what she has already written. Nothing I could say could ever compare to what she has already said. And nothing I do could ever compare to what she has already done. The breadth of her work, the depth of her passion, the scope of her mind. She is, quite simply, phenomenal. And her voice, Lord, her voice. If I had her voice, I’d never stop talking. Seriously, I’d find some way to keep talking in my sleep.

I remember, vividly, watching President Bill Clinton’s inauguration and hearing her extraordinary poem. A rock, a river, a tree. This was the first presidential election I had been truly excited about, not to mention the first president I helped to elect. I will never forget the hope of that moment and the promise of those words. Now, all these years later, Maya has put her tremendous heart into helping Hillary Clinton. One amazing woman supporting another amazing woman, it doesn’t get much better than that. But, I’ve rambled on far too long when all along I should have just let Maya do her thing. Rise, Maya. Rise. Happy weekend, all.

p.s. I cannot take sole credit for this week’s crush. It was the fabulous Linster who first came up with the idea. Read her tribute on AfterEllen today and revel in the wonder that is Dr. Angelou some more. Too much is never enough when it comes to Maya.