Strangers come to us, beautiful, ugly, odd or scary, and we accept them all without question, compliment them, treat them kindly, and give them good things.
Yes, it was rather a momentous event in my personal life. Sixty . . . That’s the number on the door leading away from “middle age” and into the final years of one’s life. Realistically (and hopefully), I probably have 20-30 years left in this life.
That’s an especially sobering thought given that I’ve now spent 32 years living in the U.S. That’s over half my life. In some ways, my arrival here from Australia in 1994 does not seem like 30+ years ago. Will the next (and final) 30 pass as quickly? And what will they hold for me as my body (and maybe even my mind) embarks on its inevitable decline?
Such thoughts and questions are only natural at milestone birthdays like 60. But I’ve made the very conscious decision to not obsess about them. Instead, I’ve chosen to enter into my 60th year and beyond in a spirit of gratitude. I am grateful for my health, my family and friends, the meaningful work I do, for my life just as it is – questions and uncertainties included.
I choose gratitude because I take to heart Yung Pueblo’s wise words:
You attract what’s inside you – so fill yourself with peace, gratitude, compassion, generosity, kindness, balance, and emotional intelligence.
Amen brother!
As has been the tradition at The Wild Reed, I mark the occasion of my birthday by sharing a song, prayer and/or reflection that I find particularly meaningful; that speaks to where I’m at on my journey.*
This year I’ve decided to share “I Hope Somebody’s Loving You,” one of a number of stand-out tracks from Fantastic Negrito’s latest album, Son of a Broken Man (2024).
I chose this song because its lyrics mirror a reality I’ve been thinking and praying about for some time now. And this reality, this truth, is that the many terrible things we’re witnessing in the world today are, at a very basic level, caused by people not experiencing love in their lives. This lack of love could be due to their own actions or the actions of others.
Regardless, they are starved of love. And when this happens, some choose to project the resulting hurt and pain out onto others, either consciously or unconsciously.
It can even get projected and manifested in public policy, resulting in great harm and damage to people’s lives, communities, the environment, and democracy. We’re witnessing this play out in the U.S., and the figure currently presiding over this lovelessness is Donald Trump, a profoundly damaged (broken) individual, an individual who I doubt has ever known real love in his life.
Of course, there are other reasons and factors, and other people, that are playing a range of roles in the terribly loveless things happening in our world. But I still maintain that a major cause of all this lovelessness is people who have never known love, or who are lacking love, choosing to respond in ways that project outward their misery and hurt.
I appreciate how Fantastic Negrito longs for all to know love in their lives. I want this too. Indeed, it’s my birthday wish for the world!
And when I encounter someone who is clearly not experiencing love in their life and thus possibly tempted to project (or actually projecting) their lovelessness and hurt out onto others, then I pause, focus on the love inside of me, and, remembering that we are all ultimately one, give that love within “all up to you,” in the words of Fantastic Negrito. This giving may take many forms – a smile, a helping hand, some money, my time and attention to simply sit and listen. It can also mean lovingly saying No!, and working to name, halt, and undo the harm that loveless people, including political figures, are doing in our world today.
I hope somebody’s loving you
In the deepest ways
I hope somebody’s loving you
Every night and day
’Cause if nobody’s loving you
I know this may sound kinda strange
I’d give it all up to you
I’d give it all up to you
I hope somebody’s kissing you
In the sweetest places
I hope somebody’s missing you
Every time you go away
And I hope somebody’s digging you
And not digging your grave
I’d give it all up to you
I’d give it all up to you
C’mon and tell me everything
That I ever wanted to hear
And I’d give it all up to you
C’mon tell me everything
Tell me everything
And I’ll give it all up to you
Tell me everything
That I ever wanted to hear
And I’ll give it all up to you
I could really love you
Yes, I could really love you
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I’d give it all up to you
I hope somebody’s loving you
In the sweetest ways
I hope somebody’s loving you
Every night and day
_________________
I’ve noted and discussed previously how an important activity that centers me in an awareness of God is spending time with people I love and who love me; people who make a positive and transformative difference in my life. In celebrating my 60th birthday, I spent time with a number of such people, as you’ll see in the following images.
Right: On the eve of my birthday, I made a Facetime call to my 86-year-old mum in Australia. I did so to thank her for giving birth to me and for being the loving and wise mother she’s been to me for the last 60 years.
As always, it was great to see and hear her, and I continue to thank God for her ongoing recovery from the stroke she experienced back in April. I also give thanks for the ways mum is participating in this recovery through her chosen attitudes and actions. As I’ve said previously, they are attitudes and actions of grace and gratitude, surrender and trust. I’m grateful too for those in her life who are helping facilitate mum’s healing – our family, her friends, and the staff at the assisted living home where she now resides.
Left: My mate Deandre, who was the first person to call me on my birthday – at around 1:00 a.m. on October 23 to be exact! He called from his home in Las Vegas where he’s lived since moving there from the Twin Cities at the end of last summer.
I’m incredibly proud of Deandre and the ways he is working to build a new life for himself in Las Vegas. It hasn’t been easy – work that provides a livable wage has been hard to find, along with affordable housing. For a while Deandre was living in his car. And he had to give his beloved cat Tyga to someone else to care for on a permanent basis. But, like I said, Deandre’s been doing his best to turn things around and establish stability and consistency in his life, especially in relation to work, budgeting, and housing. So, yeah, I’m very proud of my mate Deandre, and so happy he called me on my birthday.
For quite a while now I’ve noticed on Thursdays when I drive from my home in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis to the hospital I work at in Coon Rapids, a group of people on a pedestrian walkway that spans Interstate 94 in the Prospect Park neighborhood close to my home. I could tell by their signs and banners (above) that they were protest the increasingly fascist rhetoric and actions of the Trump administration.
It’s been years since I attended a weekly morning protest, and so since my birthday this year was on a Thursday, a Thursday I was taking off from work, I decided I would join the folks on the predestrian walkway. I mean, after all, they definitely looked like they’d be my kind of people! And what better way to start my 60th year of life than by taking a stand against the fascist power grab of Trump and his billionaire buddies?
My dear friend Kate, who was in town from northern Wisconsin for my birthday, joined me in this early morning protest. You might recall that Kate and I travelled to New Hampshire in January of last year to campaign for Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson in the Granite State’s “First in the Nation” presidential primary.
In talking to those who gather every Thursday on the Prospect Park predestian walkway over I-94, we learnt that they are all from the local neighborhood and have been meeting and protesting in this way since the early days of Trump’s second term. They even hosted a “No Kings” event on the walkway on October 18. They were a very welcoming and inspiring group of people, and both Kate and I remarked later that our time with them was a great way to start the day.
Above: After participating in the Prospect Park protest, Kate and I had a delicious birthday breakfast at the French Meadow Bakery in Minneapolis.
Right: Later in the day, Kate gifted me with something very special: an hourlong session at Sanctuary Float Spa in Minnetonka. Here in a private float suite complete with its own shower and dressing area, I enjoyed the benefits of “float therapy.” It was an incredibly relaxing “zero-gravity” experience, and one that was also surreal as I opted to float for an hour in total darkness and with no ambient music playing in the background.
Above and below: My birthday celebrations continued the next day, Friday, October 24, with my hosting of a gathering at Carondelet Village in St. Paul. Here reside a number of my friends who are either Sisters or (like me) consociates of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (St. Paul Province).
Right: For the occasion, I made a Jamaican pumpkin soup (with added vegetables) and served it with fresh bread. It was a great hit!
Above and below: Out with friends at the Uptown VFW – Friday, October 24, 2025.
Above: A visit to the Prayer Tree – Saturday, October 25, 2025.
Above: On the evening of Saturday, October 25, I went brewery hopping with my dear friends Angie and Bryan.
The last four images above were taken at St. Paul Brewing, the “vibrant outdoor patio and gardens” of which are “a lush oasis filled with plants, flowers, and pops of color in each unique seating vignette.” Yes, it’s a very funky place.
We ended our evening at W.A. Frost & Company in the beautiful Cathedral Hill neighborhood of St. Paul, where this post’s opening image of me was taken by Angie!
Above: My last official birthday celebration took place on Wednesday, October 29 with a lovely potluck lunch with my fellow Palliative Care team members at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids. I serve as the interfaith spiritual health provider (or chaplain) on the team.
From left: Nikki, Maddie, me, Jenna, Kari, Steph (whose October birthday we were also celebrating) and Kate.
_____________________
* As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, it’s somewhat of a tradition to mark my birthday here at The Wild Reed by sharing a song or prayer or reflection that I find particularly meaningful. On my 44th birthday, for instance, I shared Stephan Gately’s performance of “No Matter What,” and when I turned 45 I shared “Where the Truth Lies” by the band Exchange.
In 2012, when I turned 47, I shared a prayer for balance at a very trying time, not only for myself, but for many of us here in Minnesota.
Eleven years ago, on the first day of my fiftieth year, I shared a “guidepost on the journey,” and then one year later on the day of my 50th birthday, I shared Buffy Sainte-Marie’s rousing “It’s My Way.”
In 2017, when I turned 52, I shared a poem by John O’Donohue; while on my 53rd birthday I shared “Love Is,” a beautiful meditation on the mystery of love by my favorite male vocalist Carl Anderson.
The year I turned 54 I shared “This Is the Time,” a beautiful song by Senegalese singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Daby Touré, and when I turned 55 it was Black’s “Wonderful Life” that encapsulated much of what I found myself experiencing at that time.
When I turned 56 I shared Dusty Springfield’s reflective recording “Home to Myself,” while on my 57th birthday I shared the song “The Long Ride Home” by Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri.
In 2023 when I turned 58, I shared an “Anchoring Prayer” by Joyce Rupp, while last year for my 59th birthday, I shared Loreena McKennit’s beautiful song, “Never-ending Road (Amhrán Duit).”
I hope somebody’s loving you
In the deepest ways
I hope somebody’s loving you
Every night and day
’Cause if nobody’s loving you
I know this may sound kinda strange
I’d give it all up to you
Omar Fateh, a Democratic socialist, hopes to
defeat incumbent mayor Jacob Frey by focusing
on affordability, wages and public safety.
– Rachel Leingang
As most reading this will know, I live in Minneapolis where our city elections are less than a week away. In the mayoral race, I’m supporting Democratic socialist Omar Fateh who was featured today in an article in The Guardian by Rachel Leingang. I’ll share this article in two parts, the first of which is below.
_______________
On a rainy October day, dozens of volunteers showed up at a Minneapolis park to grab campaign literature they would leave at voters’ doors, hoping to buoy up a Democratic socialist into the mayor’s office.
A handful of door-knockers ran into an apartment building to escape the rain, joining Omar Fateh, the mayoral hopeful sometimes dubbed the “Mamdani of Minneapolis.”
“We’re running on a campaign to make the city more livable, affordable and to protect all of our residents,” he told one voter, who said they hadn’t been following the race closely.
Two others who answered knew Fateh’s name and lent their support. “I think I’m planning on voting for you,” one man told Fateh.
Minneapolis voters will decide their next mayor on Tuesday 4 November.
Fateh, a 35-year-old who became state senator by ousting an incumbent, has gained attention for comparisons to Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic socialist on track to win New York City’s mayoral contest. They’re both young, both part of the insurgent left, both Muslim, both state lawmakers. Their platforms, with a focus on affordability, align. Their campaigns tap into grassroots organizers with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Their races use ranked-choice voting, allowing for alliances against the incumbent.
Instead of a primary, Minneapolis holds caucuses and a city convention. Fateh earned the endorsement of the Minneapolis Democratic-Farmer-Labor party, but it was then revoked by the state party after the electronic voting system failed to capture all votes in the contest, the Minneapolis DFL acknowledged, leaving the race without an endorsed candidate.
“One of the biggest benefits of the DFL endorsement is name recognition,” Fateh told The Guardian. “But that name recognition became far greater than what we ever could have gotten with the endorsement after they revoked it.”
The Minneapolis mayor’s race doesn’t feature the shamelessness of the New York City race – namely, the participation of the disgraced former governor Andrew Cuomo and the ethically suspect incumbent mayor, Eric Adams. Few have the charisma of Mamdani, nor the organizing and social media prowess of his campaign, one that left-leaning candidates around the country will try to emulate.
Minneapolis’s incumbent mayor, Jacob Frey, running for his third term, has his critics – for his handling of the protests that followed the murder of George Floyd in the city in 2020, persistent policing problems, a homelessness crisis and contentions with the more progressive city council. Frey, 44, often serves as a moderate check on the council, which includes several Democratic socialists.
There are 15 candidates running in the race, four of whom – all Democrats – are considered viable. The three top challengers, including Fateh, have created an alliance, appearing at each other’s events, though only Fateh is explicitly telling voters not to rank Frey on their ballots. Public polling of the race is minimal, complicated by the ranked-choice voting method, though Frey typically shows as the top vote-getter, albeit not cresting the necessary 50% to win in a first ballot.
“The fact that Fateh and other candidates are drawing as much support as they appear to be, I think, owes to the fact that the Democratic party has lost credibility among progressive voters,” said Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. “This is not a cross-section of America. This is an urban area in one of the most progressive kind of electorates in the country.”
This past Tuesday, October 28, MPR and the Minnesota Star Tribune hosted the following debate featuring the four leading contenders for mayor of Minneapolis – incumbent mayor Jacob Frey, Sen. Omar Fateh, Rev. DeWayne Davis, and Jazz Hampton.
Opening image: State senator Omar Fateh and the incumbent mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, debate on September 26, 2025. (Photo: Leila Navidi/Zuma via Shutterstock)
I established The Wild Reed in 2006 as a sign of solidarity with all who are dedicated to living lives of integrity – though, in particular, with gay people seeking to be true to both the gift of their sexuality and their Catholic faith. The Wild Reed's original by-line read, “Thoughts and reflections from a progressive, gay, Catholic perspective.” As you can see, it reads differently now. This is because my journey has, in many ways, taken me beyond, or perhaps better still, deeper into the realities that the words “progressive,” “gay,” and “Catholic” seek to describe.
Even though reeds can symbolize frailty, they may also represent the strength found in flexibility. Popular wisdom says that the green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm. Tall green reeds are associated with water, fertility, abundance, wealth, and rebirth. The sound of a reed pipe is often considered the voice of a soul pining for God or a lost love.
On September 24, 2012,Michael BaylyofCatholics for Marriage Equality MNwas interviewed by Suzanne Linton of Our World Today about same-sex relationships and why Catholics can vote 'no' on the proposed Minnesota anti-marriage equality amendment.
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