Tag Archives: joy

Family Peace in the Flower Moon

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It’s been a long haul of sad commemorations in my family.

So, it was with great joy I hauled out my marrying dress and headed out to my nephew’s wedding. I’m not really doing the marrying, just a little part, so this marrying dress is red rather than my oh-so-stylish-and-clerical black.

I’d packed it down in my suitcase and was driving down the road when my cousin Kate called to say that Wayne’s, now her, daughter had eloped. Boom. another nephew, complete with a boychild. (Oh great, another child to be a mediocre auntie too. Ah well, luckily I’m the crazy auntie when they see me! After all, who’s bringing the pez and the bubbles to the wedding? Okay, okay, dear friends gave them to me for Easter, but still, I know how to use them. After all, being Evanses/Bennetts/and all the other things that come after, we’ll be logging a lot of pool time! Gotta have fun options!)

Twenty six of us will gather. There will be a lot of holes, and as I write this I’m missing Deb like crazy. Tomorrow by the pool and Saturday, I’ll miss the elders. But I’m grateful for what I’ve got — because what I’ve got is Love and some very sweet Peace.

and whoohoo… a celebratory cocktail will be enjoyed in the Clinton Library. That’s worth the price of admission (which is grown up shoes) right there.

Peace, Love and Happiness, World. Here’s to wild, riotous and passionate Happiness.

FlowerMoonLunacyMay1

Pink Moon Gecko of Peace

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Oh, I love word silliness. This particular small bit of word silliness amused me more than many small bits.

Yes, it’s sad that this child has so little written language and doesn’t listen well. I’m sure his prof is flummoxed about how to help this college-aged child embrace learning as well as pass his class. I know there’s some serious underlying stuff here. But as a friend once said, “Shallow can be nice.”

And oh, the shallow take on this? Joyful. Delicious. Laughter, the best medicine.

Ask the Gecko… Only the Gecko knows.

I wish I’d known when I was in Florida that those quick lil fellers had the answers to all the important questions of life — or at least the day… I’d have been more inquisitive.

Goodness knows I like knowing things.

But you really need to steer clear of the bad news Geckos. If that’s all you get, you’re just looking on the wrong sunny wall.

Hey, lil Pink Moon Gecko of Peace, what’s the haps?

PinkMoonLunacyApr15

 

Perfection Only Happens When You Look In The Right Way

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Questor broken and valued VA229

The textures of life are made up of approximations of ideals, as it is never possible for an ideal to ever be fully realized. Just as it is never possible to reach the speed of light, only get infinitesimally closer and closer, without ever actually arriving. But that is the journey! Growing ever closer to the world even as it constantly changes! What joy!!

Snowy Peace in the Sugar Moon

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As part of my work this year to become a Lunatic for Peace, I am trying to be present to every day. I work to consider the wonder and the blessings, not just of my life, but in every day life. I’m trying to watch the Moon change its shape and notice how it pulls on the Earth.

In winter, that means I pay attention to the weather and what’s happening in my neighborhood. It means I work to embrace rather than whine about the snow and the ice… I try to find its beauty. Because although this is no longer the Snow Moon, it is sometimes called the crust moon, when the sun melts the snow and the night freezes it to a blank sheet that can be razor sharp when broken.

But still… it’s not all that hard, because it is beautiful. Every day is a wonder. It is sweet and precious… All the hard stuff that happens is all the stuff that life is composed of. Wishing it away is wasting life. Having spent so much time at bedsides of people who are leaving life, you realize, there really aren’t any throwaway days. Which means the weather is part of what we have every day.

And the other day we had snow. Beautiful, beautiful snow. It fell steadily throughout the day and was light and fluffy and beautiful. It was easy to shovel and to dust off the car. And best of all it looked like diamonds falling. A day filled with diamonds falling into my life. Pretty fun.

Peace is such a complicated package of big vision and little immediate actions. I choose to welcome what is true at this moment in my life. Peace. When it’s snow, fluffy snow, it’s a pretty easy thing to be joyful about and to take delight in.

SugarMoonLunacyFeb23

Little Pieces of Peace Lunacy

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There is so much sadness in the world. Huge, sad reflections of violence and greed. There’s no question that we must address these as we can.

But at the same time, we must keep our spirits strong for the journey. One way to do that is to notice what’s working and to celebrate. Let’s encourage ourselves to then take the little pieces we can and set them to rights.

Is it crazy to believe we can make a difference?

I don’t believe so.

I do believe we often set our sights too high, too big and then when we fail, we walk away altogether. We’re better seeing what little steps can be taken and begin to make those advances toward our bigger goal of Peace.

But on the way, let’s tell one another the small joys that make a life rich. When the baby learns something new, when our kid succeeds after months of trying, when we have a wonderful date with our partner or our friends, when we have communion with our elderly parent or a giggle with a sibling. Life has so much sweetness in it, let us savor that.

And full of love, let us turn gentle eyes on the bigger problems and begin to consider where we might have impact.

Because although we might not have what’s needed to change the big picture, by changing the little pictures we begin to build up evidence that Peace is possible. It’s a sweet kind of lunacy this belief in a better world… but why not? Let us be as serene and joyful as the Moon, let us reflect Love on the world…

WolfMoonLunacyJan12

A Film, An Afternoon, Some Peace, llvl

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If you know me well, you know I’m not a movie person. If I do go to the movies, pretty much guaranteed to be light and fluffy. Mostly because I can tell myself “it’s just a movie,” all I want, but my brain’s still seeing whatever horrible thing (psychological or physical) that’s happening on screen. Sadly, it’s pretty true with books as well. I don’t have great boundaries, I guess.

And I work hard at those boundaries in my work. And it is work… so, that makes many movies unrelaxing… I know I miss a lot. But we cope the way we can…

And I’m working at keeping my eyes wide open where I am.

Profundity aside, there’s nothing like a great big fluffy, musical to make me happy. Meryl Streep AND Tracy Ullman. Bring it. It’s still a troubling line that Johnny Depp played, especially since they chose to make the child so young… add a younger wolf, and it wouldn’t have been quite so creepy. And they killed the Goddess… which has bothered me ever since I saw it on stage…  Yes I know, I have to see that stuff…

But it sure was fun! Popcorn, a good friend who giggles and a bunch of people I know, and more I don’t, laughing in the audience. Some days, the Joy is all the Peace you need for a day. Everyone needs days to just fill up on silliness and laughter! (Keeping the Sabbath silly!) Peace, baby!

LLVL52Dec29