Open Heart

I have been away from my beloved blog for several days now. I have been in the grips of a nasty flu that has me (temporarily) functioning at a rather low level. What, my sweet universe are you wanting to tell me, to teach me?  I have had some screaming matches with my sweet universe this past week, let me tell you. The support, the kindness has been unwavering. But, is this really necessary? Is there not an easier way?  Yes, I said easier. Am I so out of tune, so out of sync that this is the only way to get my attention?  Yikes. My first thought is one of great disappointment in myself. However I am not staying there. I am opening myself up to the universe to receive with a willing heart.
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, open your heart.

Questions are the way home

Questions are the way home.Questions lead us to answers. Questions to me are the ultimate discovery tool. As I ask questions I get answers. Sounds counter intuitive doesn't it? But it is not. Just so we're clear I am talking about questions not judgements, OKAY?  Let's go through a scenario.  
What is peace?  Peace is living in harmony with my values.
This would lead to what is harmony?  Harmony means balance, ying and yang in my life. Going from here to why balance? Balance keeps me focused.
Then isn't focus just a matter of will?  Maybe partially, but for me I cannot focus when I am out of balance.  This brings me to the awareness of the importance of peace in my life.  That awareness then gives me the opportunity and freedom to change the things I’d like to change about myself and create the life I want. Without knowing who you are, self acceptance and change become impossible.   
                                                                                                          As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, what questions can you ask to find you way home?

Loving Myself

Today I am ill with a head cold. So I am loving myself.  The credo "Do unto others" keeps coming up for me.  I am taking good care of myself, just like I would tell somebody else to do. I am keeping myself hydrated, keeping my house in a reasonable state of order and yes, loving myself.  Thank you Universe!
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, remember to love yourself.

Robe of Peace

You've probably heard the saying that you should always wear a smile.  Really? It would get to the point where you would look ridiculous. But peace, oh ya, peace is something you always want to have with you. Peace for me, has been silently percolating on the back burner a long time. I cannot keep it silent any longer. Even though peace is a good thing, for me to keep it quiet was like a festering wound. It did me no good. It became heavy rather than light. So  here I am speaking peace to you and peace to me. Peace, the more I think about peace, the more I am in peace. I cannot slack off and ignore it. When I took  the step to start this blog, I chose action. I am grateful for that even though I do not always like it. I know that staying with peace and doing what I need to have that is now the only way for me. I seems that I am now constantly in check mode.  Questioning and calling myself on actions that keep me stuck rather than move me forward. I am watching less TV, reading more, honouring the commitments I make to myself and others. The silent voice is no longer silent and this voice speaks beauty to me like nothing ever has.  

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, put on your robe of peace.

Click Click Click

One of my brothers and I were having a conversation (via email). He said, "I didn't know you were a writer."  My initial thought upon reading that was to say, "I'm not", however since starting this blog, my awareness of many things has changed.  So my response is, "I am a writer." I go through this comparison thing that my writing is not poetic enough, it's too ordinary, doesn't measure up (to some impossible standard that my ego demands) to be classified as writing.  Wrong.  It comes from my soul and it is writing.  Writing in my unique and for me oh so necessary for living, style.  My style...I have a style. I like that. To quote my brother once again, "Your “style” has a real flow. It comes across as very gentle and quiet. Like having a sweet conversation with minds open and caring over a coffee or a drink." I am evolving every day with such awareness that it is like time lapse photography.  Click   Click   Click.  

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, be aware of the clicks as you evolve.

The One

THE ONE

Something's going on in my heart, I can feel it
Something's taking place in the world, I believe in
Peace for you, peace for me
No one is an enemy
We can be the leaders of change
The power of the one

Renée Lamoureux & Keith Macpherson

These words so beautifully express exactly what has been in my heart for some time. Have you felt things shifting lately? Have you felt ungrounded or more grounded than ever? I am lucky enough to be sensitive to the energy around me and 2012 was a time of coming undone (Remember She's Come Undone by The Guess Who?) and being put back together. I fought to regain control of my life and live by a new set of rules. I knew I would not move forward unless I consistently honoured myself. This blog is a huge piece of doing just that. I am surprised daily how this blog is teaching me and taking me down new paths.  I am learning that it only takes one person to begin change. I am choosing to be that one to spread peace; to bring peace; to be peace. Will you take the challenge to be the one to begin change?

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today think about being The One?

Christmas

I dreaded Christmas for years. I did not like anything about Christmas. Not the decorations, not the gift buying, not the gift receiving (seemed hollow and forced) not the gatherings, not the preparations, not the music, not the outdoor lights...NOTHING.  Christmas meant stress, fights, drunkenness, extra work that went unappreciated (yeah I know, poor me), unhappiness at every turn.  Difficult for my kids too. I would have loved to run away for the "holiday season".  It sucked so bad a couple of months before and probably a month after.  What a waste of time. Why bother?
Time passed and healing occurred. I found myself enjoying the outdoor lights once again.  It came softly and I let it in. Another Christmas I delighted in the decorations when I was in a mall.  Hmmm..what's going on?  Not sure, but I liked it.  I could tolerate Christmas music in small doses.  Slowly I have opened up to the idea of actually, gulp, liking Christmas. I am not crazy about it, but I now anticipate the season with joy and participate enthusiastically and lovingly rather than out of obligation. I am so grateful for this change and wish you all the absolute best Christmas ever!

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about your feelings around Christmas.

Crisis

Does it take a crisis to know yourself? I have said many times that I would not be who I am today had it not been for all the bumps along the way.  I lived in crisis mode for a few decades. Now I know that all these crisis and struggles got me looking inward. Would I have done so had my life been easier and smoother? I don't honestly know the answer to that. I believe that for me, this is the way it had to be. This is the way I agreed to learn my lessons.  To answer my initial question...does it take a crisis to know yourself? I would say not necessarily.  But then, a crisis to me, may not be a crisis to you. Hmmm...so maybe the question of what is a crisis needs to be answered first.  I would say the definition  of a crisis is probably pretty subjective.  So, I think living with awareness is certainly the beginning of a personal quest to knowing yourself.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about crisis.

Art ...

What is art anyway?  Art consists of two things...form and content.  Form is basically the physical materials used and content is what is being produced. Painting, sculpture, photography, music, dance, literature are all art. 

I must add that on a personal level architecture is art that I love, whose canvas has the backdrop of the whole world.  Gives me shivers just thinking about it. I love that art is interactive. The artist and the viewer are both engaged in creative expression. The mood or symbol that is conveyed is interpreted by both artist and viewer in their own unique ways while enriching and expanding both lives. 

One of the ways I express my creativity is with Words. Words are so precious and inspiring and necessary. Words are like breathing to me. Expressing this creativity gets me out of bed in the morning. Did you see what I just wrote?  Words are like breathing to me.  This just brought words and my relation to words to a new conscious level. I cannot ignore this need of my soul.  Thank you universe!  Rivers of ink to be put to paper. Stay with me.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about art.

A Good Word

Loaves and Fishes

This is not
the age of information.
This is not
the age of information.
Forget the news,
and the radio,
and the blurred screen.
This is the time
of loaves
and fishes.
People are hungry
and one good word is bread
for a thousand.      David Whyte

 My awareness deepens as I continue to write on this blog. I am brought up short so many times by my "normal" reactions.  I am committed to making peace the biggest 5 letter word ever. I know and feel the  hurt and the sorrow and the loneliness in the world. I say to you I care; I hear you; I am here.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about a good word.

Getting Old...

What is this getting old stuff all about anyway?  Art, furniture, jewelry and wine become more precious as they age, while it seems we put less and less value on people as they age.  Our society tends to think that old people should be tucked away in retirement communities and not be seen or heard from. Sure, we change as we grow older which is natural, not a bad thing. I can't stay up late and get up early like I used to, I'm not as strong as I used to be and I have some aches and pains.  I have learned to be gentle with myself (comfortable in my own skin, wrinkles and all) and others. sharing what I have found to be true in kind ways rather than being forceful. When I talk to my kids or a friend, instead of saying "You should." I now say "What about this" or "Have you thought about?".  I call it planting seeds. It feels good and right to do this.   

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about your ideas and actions around getting old.

Pay Attention

 “The only way to end a culture of violence is to proactively create a culture 

 of peace.” Marianne Williamson

  

What do you think?  Is it possible to proactively create a culture of peace? I absolutely believe with every fibre of my being that it is. And it is crucial to do that right now. It starts, I believe with a conscious awareness of how we are living, how we are responding and a willingness to do things different and be different than we have been. Are you ready to join me in living with awareness  and a willingness to change? To live a new paradigm? 

Adopt this Buddhist saying for your own, “May all beings be free from suffering. May all beings be at peace.”

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, pay attention to how you are doing things and how you are being in the world.

Is Peace Relevant?

Since starting this blog, I have become so much more aware of peace and how and when I live in alignment with peace. I have challenged my reactions to situations and have had a gentler response. When I run into day to day frustrations; like forgetting something and having to run back up to my house to grab it, or when I stub my toe my usual response is to lash out at the world, I now take a step back. Granted, this may be after a bit of an explosion, but I am taking a step back. And for this I am very grateful. I had a situation this week where  I found out someone who I thought was in alignment with me spiritually as well on a business level, is not. My initial reaction went straight to the negative. I stayed with this for a short while and then asked how this was in alignment with my desire for a peaceful world. Definitely was not. Various emotions came up and that's okay. I am completely committed to living in a peaceful way and am allowing myself to learn as I go. Do I do this perfectly? Far from it, but that's not going to stop me. I will continue knowing I am always supported by this beautiful universe of ours.
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about the relevance of peace in the everyday occurrences in your life.

Did you know?

Did you know that when you get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and you step on the hooks on your bra that it is not at all pleasant but rather annoyingly painful?
Did you know that being a grandmother expands your heart in ways you never thought possible and takes you to the mountain top every time you see those amazing little humans?
Did you know that having an honest conversation can completely change the way you relate to somebody that previously rubbed you like a 40 grade sandpaper to a relationship that you treasure?
Did you know that the night sky with a view of all the city lights leads to thoughts of the humanity behind all those lights and all the infinite possibilities?
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about what you know and where it can lead you.

The Seed

"The Rose"

Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
An endless aching need.
I say love, it is a flower,
And you its only seed.

It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance.
It's the one who won't be taken,
Who cannot seem to give,
And the soul afraid of dyin'
That never learns to live.

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose.

Bette Middler  The Divine Miss M

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about the seed (that becomes the rose).

John Lennon Imagine

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace

You, you may say 
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one


Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world

You, you may say
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will live as one

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today,  just Imagine!

Play...It's not just for Kids

Remember how you felt when you played as a kid?  Tumbling on the grass, smiling from ear to ear and laughing...laughing from deep down in your belly, blue skies, and bright vibrant greens, yellows and running, constantly running. Play is the universal language of well, everybody. Play instantly connects people. Play leads you to follow your own ideas and instincts...to explore who you really are and who you want to be. There is no right or wrong with play. I love that...no right or wrong.
Put some play in your day and experience being present; alive in the moment.  
Play can help us express emotions or ideas that may be to difficult to express in more grown-up ways like writing or talking. Everyone has a story to tell. Never stop playing. My granddaughters continue to teach me how to play and remind me that play is not a luxury but a necessity. Thank you my girls. Give yourself permission to play today.

What if...what if world leaders would play together?  United in the purpose of having fun. What would that do for our world?
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about play.

Rules

To live is to choose.  But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there.  ~ Kofi Annan

It's a choice...Hallalujah! You mean rules don't have to be followed?  Most of the rules we live by we subconsciously decided to follow based on what we were taught as kids.

We follow the same religion as our parents
We stay in a bad marriage for the kids
We go to college, find a "good" job, get married, purchase a house, purchase a car, have a couple of kids, send those kids off to college and the cycle continues

Are the rules you live by holding you back or moving you forward?
Use your voice and start challenging your rules today.
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about the rules you are lving by.

Compassion

What does compassion look like? Compassion isn't just feeling sorry for someone else, not just wishing the world were a better place, not just wanting people to be more generous. No, compassion is an action that makes a material and practical difference in the lives of others. What does compassion look like in your own life? - Andrew Himes
Compassion is not pity. Pity comes with judgement and maybe even some fear 
and feelings of superiority. Compassion comes from love for another's pain. When we lighten someone's pain, we feel that universal connection to each other.
Compassion is a gift we give ourselves as well. We can be gentle with ourselves instead of beating ourselves up when we mess up. The more compassion we have for ourselves, the more compassion we have for others.
Compassion helps you and those around you to be happier. Compassion helps you to see what you have in common with the people around you rather than seeing the differences. We all need food, shelter and love and thinking about our sameness rather than our differences goes such a long way toward cultivating compassion.
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about compassion. 

Journey into Myself

Journey...journey...journey...where have you been? Where are you going? Is your journey one of blue, sunny skies or grey, cloudy skies? Have you ever taken a "journey" to find yourself?  I took a weekend a couple of years ago and found it very difficult. The part of being without any reading material (other than what I might write), being without music, being without any videos, being without any human contact was at that time too honest for me. I am ready to do this once again...stay tuned.

When all’s said and done, all roads lead to the same end.
So it’s not so much which road you take, as how you take it .”—Charles de Lint

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about your journey so far.

Success

What is success?  Is it earning a degree? Is is reaching a certain income level? Is it living in the "right" neighbourhood with the white picket fence? And when these "things" come your way do they guarantee happiness? Do they provide satisfaction?  They might but probably only temporarily. I would say simply living in the present and really focusing on what you are doing and not judging things as good or bad, will have you living lighter and freer. Feels like success, doesn't it?

  “When walking, walk. When eating, eat.” ~Zen proverb

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about what success means to you. 

Happiness

We all strive to find and keep happiness. When is the last time you really sat quietly and contemplated what happiness means to you? Does it depend on others or only on ourselves?  I believe happiness comes from inside of us and we and we alone are responsible for our own happiness. Only our own restrictions limit the happiness we experience. Isn't that just so freeing? It doesn't depend on...anything outside of us. It really does not!

So having something to look forward to, doing something for someone else, having a sense of purpose every morning when you get up, a group of like-minded people to support and be supported by, following your gut, always following your gut , stepping outside your comfort zone, having meaningful conversations, smiling and forgiving are all ingredients in the formula for happiness.
A further word on forgiveness...
"Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different. So you don't hold on to wishing that you'd had a different kind of brother, a different kind of mother, a different kind of family. You let that go and you move forward with the grace that God has given you. From this day on, forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different." Oprah Winfrey
Thank you Oprah; this has made forgiveness make sense to me and for me to be truly able to forgive.
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world think about happiness.

Music

Music for me speaks what I cannot express.  Music soothes my mind and gives it rest. Music heals my heart. Music goes right to the depths of my soul. I know immediately if the music I am listening to was written from the heart or merely written as a product. It resonates on such a gut level; it centers me; it raises me up; it motivates me; music supports me.
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about music.

Today

Every day, we go about doing our usual thing in our usual way.  We move on autopilot. We think about our problems, what we have to do, when will we be able do it, and sometimes it leads us to stop thinking about things we could do to benefit our future. We just do what we need to get by for the day.  There is no greater day than today.
What does today mean to you? Today is filled with opportunities, possibilities, decisions, choices...a chance to start over.  Every single today you are given and how you spend it will determine how your future todays will unfold.
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world think about today.

What I Love...

Hmmm...what do I love? I love to sing despite the scratchy, off key sounds that come out. I love to read and right now I am completely hooked into "Socrates Cafe" by Christopher Phillips. I love getting down on the floor and acting like a complete kid with my grandkids ages 7, 6 and 5 months. I love the sunny sky...makes me think anything is possible. I love a cloudy sky which feels like a warm blanket wrapped securely around me. I absolutely love the friendships I have with all 3 of my now adult children and their partners...what a gift!  I love random meetings with people; like the guy I met today who could not get into his apartment because his key was sticking. Shared my WD40 with him and had a beautiful moment of caring. I love words and go happy, crazy when I or somebody else goes outside the box creative with how they use words.
As you take two minutes to think about peace for our world today, think about what you love.

Queen Bee (Peace)

The queen bee (peace) is the heart and soul of the honey bee colony (human life). She, the queen bee (peace  )is the reason for nearly everything the rest of the colony (human beings)does. The queen bee (peace) is the only bee without which the rest of the colony(humanity) cannot survive. A good quality queen bee (peace) means a strong and productive hive (life).
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about the queen bee.

And More Gratitude

Not ready to leave gratitude just yet. Grateful for my son who motivates me to keep pursuing my dreams. Grateful for the gift of words. Grateful for Kirtan. Did you know that gratitude inspires kindness, connection and transformation? Gratitude is a gift that creates a cycle of giving and receiving, over and over.
As you take two minutes to think about peace for our world today, think about all you have to be grateful for.

Gratitude

I have so much to be grateful for.  A few things at the top of my gratitude list are my family, wonderful friends, being able to live authentically, being aware of gratitude, the many people who I have learned from with Margaret Lynch immediately coming to mind, the path my life has taken me down, and on the practical side...a warm home and living in the best country in the world. Approaching every day with an attitude of gratitude makes such a difference when life gets a little bumpy and makes the good just that much better. And it is just so much easier and more pleasant to get things done (even if they are not really fun) when you come from a place of gratitude.
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about gratitude.

Grass

Grass is easy to grow and maintain. Grass is soft to walk on. Grass is pleasing to look at. Grass is easy and generally agreeable.  Why isn't peace easy, soft, pleasing and agreeable?
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world, think about grass.

Darkness

Darkness is a symbol of peace, of silence, of rest, of comfort. We are born after nine moths in our mother's womb: a dark and warm place that satisfies all our needs. Life doesn't get better than that.  Darkness is about  about  give and take.
As you take two minutes today to consider peace for our world, think about darkness.

Dog House

What is the purpose of a Dog House? Simply put it is a structure to house a dog. Animals like to have a place where they can get away from everything, just like us humans do. Animals like to have a specific place to call their own, the whole territorial thing, you know. So a Dog House is a good thing, right?

Dog House also has some interesting slang uses. We often chuckle at the term "In the Dog House". It is  a figure of speech that expresses emotion and humour at the same time. It generally refers to someone being annoyed with you because of something you did.
"He is in the Dog House because he screwed up again."
"She won't be out of the Dog House until she apologizes."

So, a Dog House addresses territorial needs, expresses emotion and offers us humour. Think about this as you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today.

Winter

Winter...Trees take on a more dramatic, look in winter. They shed their "covers" and stand bare and vulnerable.
Winter is a quieter time and for me the perfect time for reflection and introspection; in a way a time for us to shed our "covers" too.
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about the opportunities winter offers.   

What do you Believe?

We all have beliefs that define how the world works for us and how we interact with it.  Our beliefs bridge the gap between what we "know" and what we "assume" in order to function in the world and make decisions.     We may believe things, that are impossible to prove scientifically.
Conflict can arise when one person's beliefs are used to suggest that another person's are untrue. This doesn't necessarily change the "truth" of a situation, but rather the way we interpret those "facts".
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about yur beliefs.

Enough

What's mine?  What's yours?   Does it really matter?   As a society in North America we eat too much, spend too much, work too much and want too much. We are tired, stressed, overworked, and afraid. We are afraid that we won’t have more than our neighbours. We are afraid of what others will think if we don’t. We think that we never have enough and are afraid that we never will.
What if you do have enough? What would you do differently if you knew you had enough?
As you take two minutes today to consider peace for our world, think about the word enough.

Ninnyhammer

Words are powerful. Words stay in our minds literally forever. Choose your words carefully. To label someone a ninnyhammer, is a low blow. We casually toss out accusations like birdbrain, stupid, idiot or dope; not thinking how deep these little words can cut.

As you take two minutes today to consider peace for our world, think about the word ninnyhammer.

Ocean

The ocean is deep, ominous and mysterious.  To see the expansiveness, to hear the sounds, to feel the constancy, to sense the order of our universe is breathtaking.
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about the ocean.

Masks

Who are you?  Is the real you hidden behind a mask? Are you wiling to take the risk of removing your mask and accepting yourself?

When we remove our masks and become genuine, we drop many of our anxieties and judgements about ourselves and other people.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, allow yourself to remove your mask at the same time and be open to shifting perspectives.

Breath

Body, mind and breath.

All lines connect.

Now listen to the never-ending conversation of your breath.

Bija Bennett

Mindful breathing creates an expansive state of mind, so as you take two minutes today to consider peace for our world think about breathing.

Veterans All

We appropriately honour our veterans on November 11 every year.  Did  you know that every country on every continent on earth that has ever been involved in a war has veterans?  That includes Asia, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.  So even currently unpopular   (according to our governments) places like Syria and Iran have veterans.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, will you expand your idea of what a veteran is?

Bustle

We live busy frantic lives, hustling and bustling to and fro. We tend to move quickly with great animation. To what end are we bustling? 

A bustle is a framework worn under a garment (usually a wedding gown),  which serves to support and elevate the train.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, will your bustle elevate and support or bustle to fit in with the masses?

Water

Water; that beautiful, transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid. 
Water is healing in that it washes away harmful toxins we consume in the foods we eat while keeping our bodies hydrated. The sound of waves lull us into a deeply relaxed state, which can help rejuvenate the mind and body. Water is so soothing and necessary.

Water is also destructive. Tidal waves and tsunamis can destroy coast lines, cities and take thousands of lives.

Heavy rain and overflowing rivers can cause flooding which can destroy people's livelihoods as well as take lives.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about the word water.

War

War...are there any winners when we go to war? I would say not. There are only those who are left. As you consider peace for our world today, think about the word war.

Fuzzy

Does fuzzy conjure up cute and cuddly images of a teddy bear? Or does fuzzy mean lack of clarity or being out of focus?
As you take two minutes today to consider peace for our world, think about fuzzy.

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Laughing At

Laughing at is passing judgement. How many times have you laughed at somebody and justified it? I didn't mean any harm. It was so ridiculous, how could I not laugh at the situation? As you take two minutes today to consider peace for our world, think about what you are actually doing when you are laughing at.

Peace as Choice

What do you choose today? Can you take a step back and choose compassion rather than confrontation? Can you silently take a breath and feel your perspective shift?
As you take two minutes today to consider peace for our world, think about choice.

Why Consider Peace At All?

This past Remembrance Day the thought of considering Peace for two minutes every day for the next year exploded inside me. Remembrance Day comes and goes and life goes on with it's beauty and its conflicts. While I know how important it is to acknowledge and honour all our veterans across the globe (not just in North America), I couldn't help but think, "This is not enough." Hence this blog was born. I simply could not ignore the voice from deep within. Disputes and conflicts may be inevitable, but violence is not.  Violence is a choice. I want to  take this little 5 letter word and make it the biggest 5 letter word ever. Our "enemies" change with each new conflict, so are they really our "enemies"? I think not.
As you take two minutes today to consider peace for our world, think about the word respect.