Many high-schoolers learned in English class to “beware the Ides of March!” which turns out to have been Julius Caesar’s, shall we say, date with destiny. I took full advantage of the internet to review what Ides really meant, and it was simply the midpoint in a month in which the weeks were not celebrated. There you go, facts with your coffee and tea.

Well, for me this was not a day to bury someone but to praise him, to keep messin’ wit’ Shakespeare. No irony for me, just straightforward gratitude. I think we often forget — or am I the only one — that we’re not on this Peace road alone. We’re not always savvy workers, sometimes we drive ourselves to exhaustion. When we feel weary from the hard work, we need to look around. We may even need to do that a bit creatively. People may not be engaged in exactly the same work we are, but they’ll be engaged in their work — which leans toward Peace. They may be having successes on the journey, which will remind us to be grateful and and empower us to keep going. I believe one of the best fuels is counting our blessings and successes. When we see how far we’ve come, it’s easier to understand why we’re tired and why this particular setback isn’t all that huge.

So, listen for the cheerful whistle! It will give you strength for the journey. (and you probably won’t hear it, if you’re not listening.) New advice after all those years (Julius Caesar died in 44 BCE — it might be time to change the day’s rep!), let’s embrace the Ides of March and those whose work inspires us. Maybe we’ll celebrate the Ides of Peace every month!