June 1, 2025: The Defiant Stand

June 1989. Tiananmen Square, Beijing.

The day after the Chinese military crushed a pro-democracy protest, a photographer captured an extraordinary image.

A solitary figure stood alone on an empty street. Before him stretched a line of Chinese armored tanks. 

The lead tank tried to swerve around him, but he stepped sideways, blocking the path and refusing to move. A quiet standoff between flesh and steel.

And that’s when someone snapped the shot.

By the next morning, the picture had spread across the globe, splashed on newspaper front pages and becoming instantly iconic.

But the image holds a deeper meaning — one I suspect most overlook — revolving around a single word: ‘celebration.’ 

I know, the term usually conjures up images of music, food, and confetti. But maybe consider a different description: DEFIANCE.

That’s right, celebration = an act of defiance.

The picture captures the impact of a single person holding the line against overwhelming force. In a way, the visual declares: Watch this. It’s worth remembering.

Celebration is resisting numbness in a world of distractions and worry, pulling us into the present and refusing to let something important go unnoticed. 

Sometimes, celebrating is the most powerful protest of all.

Today, our family gathered in a restaurant to honor two people. One recently turned 19, and one left us exactly a year ago. Sam, full of potential, charting his path forward. And Mimi, Jess’s grandmother, who lived 94 remarkable years.

Bookends of life, yet both are reminders of what truly counts. Where we’ve been. Where we’re going.

Celebration always reveals what we hold dear. Even when everything isn’t perfect, it carries the strength to bring light and hope. 

Just like ’Tank Man,’ we plant our feet and say: this person, this day, this story — it matters.

Celebrating you, Mimi.

Celebrating you, Sam.