The more I see of Heather Heyer's mother, Susan Bro, the more I understand that we are in the presence of a truly remarkable person. During what has got to be the most stressful days of her life she continues to be thoughtful, clear and generous, as well as firmly drawing boundaries where they need to be drawn.
It's hard to imagine that another administration would not have sent a representative to Heather Heyer's funeral, especially since Charlottesville is only a couple of hours from Washington, DC. I was in Prescott, AZ when the Yarnell "Hotshot" firefighters lost their lives in 2013, and Vice President Joe Biden flew in and gave a moving speech. President Obama spoke at the service for the slain Dallas policemen in 2016. He also sent Cabinet Secretary Broderick Johnson, and two other prominent advisors, to Freddie Gray's funeral. He sent three government officials to Michael Brown's funeral, and delivered a eulogy for the for the funeral of pastor Clementa Pinckney after the Charleston Church shooting.
It doesn't look like Heather Heyer's family got anything official except disparaging remarks. And still, Susan Bro remains steadfast and centered, an inspiring example of grace under pressure.
The White House had been trying to contact Bro, but she said one of the calls came in while she was at the funeral. (Was ascertaining the timing of the service beyond the White House staff's capabilities?)
"I hadn't really watched the news until last night, and I'm not talking to the president now," said Bro. "I'm sorry. After what he said about my child -- and it's not that I saw somebody else's tweets about him -- I saw an actual clip of him at a press conference equating the 'protesters like Ms. Heyer' with the KKK and the white supremacists."
That woman is solid as a rock. When I grow up I want to be as centered as Susan Bro.
