2024
Balancing Engagement and Distraction
We write this belated holiday — er midyear — card in politically turbulent times. Our national news is disheartening, with many actions of the new administration seeming to have a lack of care and humanity.
Our intentional response is twofold: to lean into being changemakers, and to work on adding kindness to the world. That said, it is difficult!
How do we find ways to engage with the challenges before us (about many of which we are passionate), while living life to the fullest, and living in gratitude, adding joy and fun — even distractions — to our everyday lives.
Our thoughts resonated with a section of a holiday card written by our newest State Senator, Sophia Chitlik. We quote with permission:
“So, what might it look like to create instead? What might it look like to operate from a place of baseless love for one another? … My answer: hope. The activist Maoz Inon teaches that “hope is something you make.” Hope is a choice, an action, a practice. Today, I choose the verb kind of hope. I choose to use my words and my time to make our politics more kind. I choose deescalated rhetoric and escalated action towards a future that I want for my child, and for yours: a democratic, caring America that is worthy of our better angels.”
We agree. So with an eye toward kindness, changemaking, hope, and yes distractions, here are some Clark family updates.
Charlie ready for Boston winter!
Clark Family Updates and Distractions
Banks and Jackie have moved to the Triangle area! At present they are living with Jeff and Charlotte while they sort out longer term living arrangement. We love this time with the two of them! Jackie is completing a one-year doctoral internship at North Carolina State University in Raleigh towards her PhD in clinical psychology. Banks graduated with a Masters in Social Work from New York University in May and is now completing practicum hours in a local counseling clinic in Cary. Sadly, Jackie’s father, Martin, died in December from cancer complications, and Banks and Jackie are grateful that they could spend much time in Chicago over the fall. Work and travel are not leaving much time for distractions, but house-hunting and games are good sources.
Tory, Adam, and 4-year old Isla welcomed a new Frange into the world in October — Charlotte (Charlie) Banks Frange. Grandparents are of course thrilled, and the Clark/Frange class is healthy and enjoying tackling newborn Boston winter for the first time. Tory continues to work at E3 developing decarbonization plans. Adam earned a Masters of Science in Nursing and a Registered Nurse license in 2024, and now is well on his way to a Doctorate in Nursing Practice and a Nurse Practitioner license. He is currently gaining clinical practice in a primary care practice. Certainly a baby provides myriad distractions, but others include oversized fluffy baby outfits, and books about dragons.
Char and Jeff had a great year – Charlotte living well into retirement, and Jeff… well… not so much! He is very busy chairing 4 entrepreneurial boards, serving as CEO of a 5th, and participating in 2 not-for-profit boards locally. That said we still both have distractions! Jeff estimates he did spend 50+ days fishing this year, including in NC, Montana, and Alaska. Char continues her crafting fun with knitting, needlepoint, crochet, and quilting. She has also declared a “war on wisteria,” trying to manage and contain invasive plants on the property. Tory has always called Char “hobby fickle” and this year, Tory illustrated this trait with this timeline! If you want to view it, follow these steps.
- Go to “Full Screen” on the right
- Use the +/1 or mouse zoom to make the timeline more narrow or more broad (e.g., if you’re seeing -1000 to +1000 BCE then zoom in to 1980-2020).
- Use the slider on the side to make the text larger and do a real zoom.
Adam, Tory, Charlie, Isla
Making Hope
In Harry Potter, Dumbledore suggests that being unfailingly kind is a trait people never fail to undervalue. But even if true, we need that kindness and we need hope. We hope that in the new year, we can all make some hope in our world and be unfailingly kind without the need for external approbation.