Tag: community

A Return to Unity.

I’ve been troubled by the recent escalation of violence, my loves. Not simply for the gravity of action itself, but likewise for the polarization created in its aftermath.

Like the wake of a boat, it divides even the most tumultuous of sea – with white capped rage, rising to fear’s place.

And yet, always following there is a sense of calm, as the waters retreat to their natural state. Because, even the most violent of ‘waves’ knows it’s longing.

Humanity is much like the ocean, my loves. Though, at times, divided – it is ultimately connected in service to all. It is our true source, without which – we’d fail to survive.

Senator Robert Kennedy once spoke to the irony of our fellow man “with whom we share a city, but not a community; men bound to us in common dwelling, but not in common effort.” He spoke of a shared common fear, resulting in the impulse to meet disagreement with force.

Though, I am compelled to ask – how has this force dared to serve us?

My darlings, I’m hopeful today we might reflect upon these words; that they may offer pause in the place of a ‘knee jerk’ reaction.

Only then, may our hearts be returned to unity.

In peace, my loves…

Namaste ❤️

The Importance of Community.

I overheard a conversation at the coffee house this morning. “Well, what are you gonna do,” the young man asked. His voice was tinged with a heavy resignation, one forged through years of despair.

As I looked up, I saw the events of this past week replaying over the television set – bombings, death and the expectation of continued attacks. It was a strike against the very core of our global community.

How can one not feel powerless in the face of such adversity? How can we, alone, rise against such a coordinated threat? How can we possibly defend the heart of humanity?

Oh, but that’s what they’d like for us to believe – now, isn’t it my loves? They want us to believe that so long as they are weaponized, there is nothing to be done.

That’s what they want us to believe, my loves – now, isn’t it?

They want us to believe that the ‘battle’ is lost; that so long as they are weaponized, they are likewise empowered.

But, that’s only part of the story.

In his book Calming the Fearful Mind: A Zen Response to Terrorism, Thich Nhat Hanh shares his reflections on the impacts of despair, and the importance of ‘community’ in our world.

“Without a community, we will become victims of despair,” he writes. “We need each other. We need to congregate, to bring together our wisdom, our insight, and our compassion.”

Oh, yes – my darlings, yes. We need each other don’t we? Now, more than ever.

And it’s effected always in the smallest of ways. Like sharing encouragement with a team member at work, or – spending an afternoon reading to the little ones.

We cobble together community through these moments, my loves. In doing so, we reinforce these threads of compassion.

There is always something to be done, my loves. Though first, we must be willing to keep our hearts open during these moments of despair.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

The Gift of Our Awareness.

I was shocked by this image the other day; three young woman, not a care in this world, taking photos nearest a man in desperate need.

While they paraded about in their Louboutins, this dear man cowered without shoes.

What’s going on in this world today, when we can so easily turn away from another’s pleadings?

As I look more closely at this picture, I wonder – do they even see him there? Or, is it that they’ve deemed his audience unworthy. Certainly, not enough to ‘spoil the shot’ – nor, grave enough to dampen their smile.

And then, my heart pauses for a moment to reflect – I wonder what that old man is feeling?

It draws to mind a conversation I once had with a homeless man on the streets of Washington D.C. Naively, I presumed, “The winters must be the hardest part.”

To which he replied, “Not even close. Feeling invisible is.”

I think sometimes, it’s easier to walk past. After all, how can we change an entire life in a single day?

But, what we fail to realize is something much more profound – that is, a simple kindness can go a long, long way.

To share a warm beverage on a cold winter’s day…or, an overcoat to help with the winds?

Though, perhaps the greatest gift we might ever provide – is that of our simple presence.

Author, Wallace Stegner once said, ““Home is a notion that only nations of the homeless fully appreciate and, only the uprooted can comprehend.”

I think it’s potentially much more than that. As, perhaps within these faces we recognize the shadows of our own deepest fears.

And, though we may not be able to change a whole world in one day – at the very least, we can give a man a pair of shoes.