One of the fun things about visiting Lorraine is realizing I’m still a teenager in side. When I first came to Sweden, back in 1969, we would sit at this cafe on the square in our little town and laugh. Swedes are many things, but boisterous is not part of the national character in the normal course of the day. (Remember that at the same time I was laughing out loud, I was also learning to curtsey as I walked by my elders — if you can imagine that!)

So Lorraine and I were always having to catch ourselves up from being giddy 17-year-old American girls and trying to fit in — because at seventeen, who wants to do anything other than fit in?

But there we were, laughing through the train (because for some reason our train door didn’t open, so we had to walk through two cars to get to our seats. And laughter doesn’t stop because you walk through a door — even when the door says: Quiet!

And of course being icily told to be quiet just meant that we were going to choke on our giggles. There are times to be serious, and I have a lot of them, but even in the serious times, I’m often laughing! Because even in the worst of situations there’s stuff that’s just funny.

I like that I still can be reprimanded for having too much fun. (And really, the train was 15 minutes away from leaving the station, and it’s a train not a library and we did quiet down!) I also like that I no longer can be made to feel uncomfortable because I’m laughing out loud.

Peace… it’s in the loud, boisterous moments as well as the tender quiet ones!

And as I said as I put my message out today, it’s odd that I can feel like a giggly teenager and still have someone rush to help me with my suitcases, because, oh, right, I’m gray-haired! Although, in my defense, I’m well able to handle my suitcases, even if i insist in taking too much stuff wherever I go!

Peace, my friends, I wish you light giggles and deep belly laughs (although not in the quiet car!) I wish you happy times with dear, dear friends. Keep making new memories and keep holding the old ones sacred. Inviting people into that sweet space is a wonderful way to spread Peace, bit by bit!