The Gifts of Peace
As long as we fight we'll never know these gifts
Peace provides a context that allows us to experience magic.
When we really see, really hear, immerse ourselves in the experience of being alive, magic reveals itself.
The muse smiles on those who are able to cultivate moments of peace in their lives.
If children in Palestine can play and smile amidst the rubble, we can too.
With a calm heart and clear eyes, we can see the magic in the ordinary: the searing yellow of the autumn leaves glowing in the sunshine, the trusting snuggle of a child or a furry companion, the smell of a hungry ground sated by rain, a meaningful connection.
There are so many treasures that are only revealed in peaceful moments. They’re fleeting and ephemeral, and they’re what life is all about.
I hope we all find the magic in peace.
And I hope we can conjure up whatever magic it takes to create the peace in the world for which we yearn.
* * * * * * *
I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.
Here's an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/browse/1
Here's a way to help others not in your bubble to boycott Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/stickies_2024_en
And here's where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/
Your painting fits the topic perfectly.
Thanks for the resistance links. There have been some shifts in public opinion about the US/Israel genocide and the BDS effort is having an effect on hobbling the Israeli economy. I encourage everyone to post the list on their Substack.
Yes, the profound moments of life to be found in peace. As a culture, we have been without true peace for so long it is hard to allow ourselves to move into it, to breathe it in and out, to express it. I'm wondering how this tenuous access to peace revolves around our flawed understanding of conflict. Conflict does not mean recourse to inimical posture and aggression. Conflict can be a sacred place of growth and learning. It can be the ground from which peace springs instead of a precursor or catalyst for havoc and hate.