Old and Young Peace, LLVL

When I wrote this piece, I was thinking about me. About who I am and what I do and how I do it differently now than I did things before.

As I posted this to lists last night I realized that some might take this piece as disparaging of the younger folk on the list. I remember that I dealt with death and drama even then.

What’s different now is the eye I bring to it and the lack of drama that now accompanies even the most shocking things. I know a lot more about life’s continuum these days. I don’t always like it any better, oh, my sweet sister, my sweet friends… oh, the need for Peace. I’m a much more ardent fighter these days, but a somewhat more savvy one, and I take a lot more time to laugh along the way.

Sometimes I find it shocking that folk ask me questions about their lives. Me? They’re asking me? And then I realize… right, I’ve made a lot of revolutions around this sun. And I’ve packed a lot of stuff in my life. After all, I had those crazy 20s and 30s (for which Dear Lord, I am truly thankful.).

What caught me later about this list, even as I was laughing at it (and at some of the choices, many of which I had never heard before), was that I now work like a 62 year old. The number of revolutions matter if you’ve made good use of them.

Peace, sweet Peace, it likes a steady hand as well as the young undiffused passion. Grief winters quietly in my soul this day, it still storms, but with no sense of the injustice I earlier felt.

And local? When I was in my 20s, I wanted local to be the whole world. It was. I traveled, traveled, traveled. I stuffed everything I could into my mind, heart. (Both the soul and body had exciting times as well! hey I was 20!) I haven’t relinquished my love of travel, but I have discovered my love of local. These hills, this river, these neighbors, these seasons. And when I go away I often go to places where I know those landscapes and friends well enough for them to be these friends, these hills. And that’s precious… And in today’s world the these and the those don’t have to be all that distant from one another…

So, I think I’ll take my age, thank you… strange realities and all. I’ll wish you deep enjoyment of where you are. And go back to dealing with life and searching for Peace and making space for Peace in ways that owe a lot to paying attention to the things that remain constant and the things that change as the season and cycles continue.

And maybe I’ll give up listicles — although I’ll probably always giggle like a girl! Old Warrior Women fight smarter… and partner with young energy!

Patience and Peace, LLVL

If there’s anything Winter’s got to teach us, it’s Patience. Slow down. You’re going to anyway, you might as well accept it and go with the flow.

This “things take more time than I’m willing to admit” thing is a good lesson for me. I’m not altogether sure I can allow Winter to leak this into my brain, but it’s helpful. Things take more time in the winter.

You’ve got to dress more warmly and figuring out what’s going to keep you warm takes time. Your car is going to need attention, a bit of time to warm up and more time to scrape off the ice barnacles.

If you’re not prepared you’re going to be late. (or in ann’s case, later… sigh). Living in la vida local also means living in the moment, being self-reflective enough to understand what happens and how long it takes, and then planning for it.

Peace isn’t a hurried process, and you don’t know what important detail you will rush by when you’re slamming about trying to accomplish your end goals with no passing thoughts to the steps that get you there. not gonna work. Peace be with you, and the Patience to enjoy the journey. If your life is to be a prayer, then you’ll want to pay some attention to each part of it, won’t you…

Gather ’round Peace Sabbath, LLVL

There’s something about people gathered round a table. Friday night it was old friends and some new. People who live here, people who don’t. Listening to great music. Laughing. Catching up. Singing along. Hugs on the break. It was fuel for the day and the tables ahead of me.

Yesterday we said goodbye to a lovely woman. Her sister and her kids were funny and clear, lost and, oh, so very proud of their sister/mother. People sang. People wept. People laughed. People paid tribute. It’s what you’d want to know people would do for you. It’s what you want to do for people we love.

And then we sat around tables again. She was loved, this woman. People cooked because she cooked. Her brother in law, lives in California, comes from India, also cooks. He made potatoes in California, packed them in their suitcase and flew to be here. Fed us. Love people, said her bumper sticker, feed them tasty food.

Today is a day of reflection. My Sabbath. After church, I’ll gather at a table with new friends. A quiet opening, so needed after the big closings of the past two weeks. We’ll laugh, get to know one another a little. And later, my usual Sunday night date with a friend.

Gather ’round. It’s where community is born, ideas are conceived, stories are shared and laughter grows. Sometimes the seeds of Peace are sown there. And sometimes, if you’re very lucky, some wonderful people will have pulled together great music to listen to. La vida local: Here’s to living it. Oh, right, first, i’ll go brush the fluffy white stuff off my car.

Snapshots of Local Peace, LLVL

I know it’s not enough. There are much bigger issues to work on. but sometimes the Peace you work on has to be tailored to where your heart is. You also have to trust that your friends will do the big work while you’re doing the heart work.

What startles me into pleasure about the village is how caring and concerned it is. Caveats? you betcha. You’ve got to work your way into this village. But I’m here right now and it feels damned good.

Soon enough I’ll turn my face to the Peace and Justice trail. Right now, there are broken hearts, my own among them, as we mourn a woman who laughed and stitched and fed a community of people and of cats. Jean Weston, we’ll miss you. Saturday, we’re going to do our best to celebrate the joy you brought into our lives. In the meantime. we’ll be seeing you in all those old familiar places… and take up the task of creating family and creating community on your behalf.

And just a note, we were all confused at exactly how MANY cats were going to be meeting you at the rainbow bridge!

Fields & Streets of Peace, LLVL

Right here, right now, outside your door (and inside too!) life is astonishing.

Too often in the cold and grey we fail to notice nature’s Beauty. Winter has its own Beauty, it’s different from any other season. And we wish it away.

I lived in the Bay Area long enough to appreciate the subtlety of its seasons. and they’re gorgeous. Except for the riot of Spring green, they’re softer. Spring comes one by one and not in a blaze of glory. Fall has muted but beautiful color. I always had to work for the sweetness of the summer browns.

But back here I love the slowly marching progression of seasons. Moving toward the deep of winter and slowly backing away. The patchwork fields are glorious. The river is alternately icy and misty. The pavement shines. Is it dangerous. Yes the weather has dangers in it. And here they’re obvious. Walk carefully. Wear enough clothes. Be part of weather. And take a drive out into the country where the winter wheat is starting.

And if you can’t do that, take a walk around the block or simply stand still and be present to the moment. Weather. it is what it is, and it’s glorious, right here where you live la vida local.

Peace Weather, LLVL

What is it about the weather that causes us to shake our heads and wax eloquent? Nothing like a long-term forecast to really get the head-wagging going.

If you’re going to live around here (my here and wherever your here is), you’re going to have to dress for it And then go on about your day.

It’s a good idea to stop the tire-burners and not to saw down a forest. So sign your petitions, donate, act respectfully. Those are long term support you can offer the weather and the people needing to live in Peace in their here. You can lobby for food for families and for some fuel oil relief as well. We have work to do on weather’s behalf, that’s for sure.

But pretty much on a day-to-day basis, you just have to dress for it. It’s Winter. There’s a whole category of appropriate clothing in the catalogs and stores.

I’m not sure why it makes me so grumpy, but, really, people spend a lot of time grumbling about a daily given. It’s just weather. Wear your raincoat. Or your boot and mittens. Winter cold serves a purpose. So does summer heat. (oh, and springing flowers and falling leaves.) You live here. Enjoy it. Weather’s fine. C’mon out and live la vida local. Feelin’ darn Peaceful out here. Have a lovely day.

Insistent Peace, LLVL

So, here’s the deal with this living la vida local, it’s not all sweetness and life.

Even in my beautiful little river valley, things are wrong. I may not be responsible for fixing everything, although I would judge that I’m responsible for fixing what I can and for thinking about fixing. (Because there’s certainly no Peace if people are hungry.) But I am responsible for calling out what I see — both the Beauty and the warts, the privilege and the lack of it. Here we are, in it.

I haven’t had a lot of writing assignments this week, although I haven’t written for the paper lately… sigh. so I’d written ahead a bit on my dailies, feeling pretty satisfied. But that lil angel had other ideas. I hope she’s going to show up occasionally… (notice she’s a she today? wonder how that will keep changing…)

This poem fell out of a lunch with the guy who’s been my biggest co-conspirator on the Love Flows. He’s the logistics end of the dreaming. So when I said, flood relief, he said here’s how. When we started thinking food, he’s now thinking BOLD and LARGE and occasionally I think about logistics. While we’re thinking about about what we do next, no reason not to throw some money in the pot if you have some. We’re building up resources for the next assault against hunger. Hopefully we’ll get to work on the website next week. Living la vida local is loco… lots of demands on a priestess’s time… but the donate button works. Or donate where you are. And stay tuned. Priestesses reflect, but it’s not all they do.

Lliving in the neighborhood, dancing around the village helps you see, and seeing confers the need to speak, and speaking pushes one to gather others around to make a difference. It’s a Peace Dance, and we’re all invited. And for the moment I’m not going to worry about the fact that I’m channeling info from a stone angel.

Ear Inclined toward Peace, LLVL

So, what do I think about angels, you ask me? I don’t know. I don’t actually think about them. I know when I heard a Catholic Priest tell a woman who’s husband had just died, a husband I’d heard screaming at her just the night before in their hospital room, that now her husband was one and she could pray through him, I pretty much rejected him.

I can tell you I write about them occasionally, stories of beings of great power, but I never spend a lot of time on them.

But here’s this little stone putti-guy who (I’ve decided) is listening, and I allow him to remind me: listen. And then I find myself in a place where listening is required. Did he just go from angel to Angel?

Just another Angel, agitating for Peace, for Love, for space in the world for aching hearts to begin to heal. Hark the Herald Angel is singing, even now, even in January. Will I listen better now than I did before? I hope so. And isn’t that more likely, if there are angels, are they watching us, or are they herding us toward Peace? In that case, they probably have bigger things in store for us than we’re likely to be comfortable with. Oh, now there’s a surprise.

I knew that little guy had to be distracted with something important if he didn’t notice the snow…

Listen! Peace. LLVL

What would we hear I wondered? What was the angel listening to?

For me this morning, she was listening to the sound of my friend Jean, whose life was ending. She heard her distress. And I was asked to listen as well.

To her family. To her friends. I got there too late to listen to Jean.

And I was able to share everything she’d told me about her wishes for a service, giving her family some comfort and structure.

And I could tell her stories. And take in the ones being told. I could savor them and consider how to use them.

Sweet to have an angel to remind me to incline an ear. Peace has many faces. Sometimes the face is covered with tears. Oh, Jean. Your community will miss you. So will I. I loved you. We all loved you. But there you are with everyone we know. who knows what living la vida local is like in heaven… I’ll bet it’s fun. I’ll bet it’s beautiful. and I know it’s filled with Peace. Say hi to my family, will you?

Stories for Peace

The Dark is the time of Sacred Stories. We are asked to recall and recite the stories that make sense in our lives, the stories that make sense of our lives. Every time we tell them, a layer is added. The meaning deepens in the telling and so do our connections to the stories.

We have choices about the stories we tell. We have choices about how we tell the stories, what is it we want them to teach us. We even have choices about the way our stories evolve, because we can make choices about how we live our lives.

When I started this year, I decided to let a new storyline emerge. I wanted to explore Peace in my life. Writing about Peace every day, no matter how obliquely has turned me into a Peace-Considerer and is moving me toward Peace-maker. Choosing to capitalize Peace and other nouns that lead toward it, while choosing to take power away from unpeaceful nouns by keeping them lowercase has had impact, on me, if not on others. The capital (particularly from someone who is capital challenged) is a small, lingering caress. I pay attention to the Peaceful details of the stories I tell.

And oh they matter, those stories. I’m trying to collect them about a friend of mine, who died a week ago. He was a wacky, wonderful guy with a sly sense of humor and a penchant for collecting things and people and stories. and awful jokes. There are so many Charlie-stories worth telling. Telling them well, next week when we have the memorial will help those stories settle into our collective hearts and become part of our history.

Telling Charlie stories will ease our sorrow and shape our shared future and perhaps our individual ones as well. That’s what stories do, the bring the past into the present and offer a path into the future. And if you make your stories stories of Peace, you will build a future of Peace. The more people in your stories, the more people on your Peace road. So observe so you can collect those stories, practice so you can tell them and listen to what you say so you know what to tweak and what to do next. Which ones exhort you to show up? Which make you reflect? Which count the blessings of sweet memories made from your feats of derring-do and your moments of collective lolling about.

Tell the stories that make you happy, make you laugh. Tell the stories that remind you that your heart bruises. Remind yourself of big work completed and little times enjoyed. Tell the stories that help you remember what you stumble over. Remember what you’re proud of. Tell the stories of how Love grows, and Hope and Joy. Tell them simply or embellish the heck out of them. But most of all? Enjoy each and every one of them. Peace, my friends… Happy Story-telling!

Sacred Village

Building a World of Peace, Village by Sacred Village.

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