“Teach me how to love my neighbors” - 9x12 colored pencils

My kids and I have been spending a lot of time outside on our front porch this spring/summer. The neighborhood literally wakes up as soon as the weather gets warm again. It's dead in the winter. And with spending so much time in ear shot of people's conversations (with others or with themselves), I have grown in compassion and anger for this neighborhood.

In the past 24 hours I've overheard a mere boy yelling to the universe, "Why'd she have to go and get pregnant anyways?! I don't want this baby", to a grown man asking for financial help over the phone, to the neighbor yelling at her kids in that same angry voice she always does. It's so hard to see the best in people sometimes, or to remember that there's a much bigger story playing out that I don't see. 

But I also heard our son gut laughing with his friend next door while pretending to be sea monsters in the hammock together. And I heard our other neighbor sweetly say hello to us and wish Joel a Happy Fathers Day. The best in people is here, but often covered up by so much chaotic life shit that happens. 

"Teach me how to love my neighbors" is a prayer for my heart, and ours, to see the humanity in people no matter what the cost.

• 9x12
• Colored pencils on paper
• Signed and dated on back