Wishing You Amazing Peace
My dear friends, I hope this holiday season has been filled with joy for you.
I hope you have connected with family and friends but also have found time for quiet reflection and continued growth in becoming the person you want to be.
The seeds of all positive change begin with the creative process of self-reflection and vision-making. It can begin with the simple question, “Who do I want to be, and how do I want to express that in my life?”
Offer that gift of time to yourself this week to go within and ask the important questions that facilitate growth. It is the most valuable gift you will receive.
In spite of the blessings all around me this holiday — the presence of my family and friends, the warmth of my home, the joy I feel in connecting with each of you — the recent tragic events in Newtown are never far from my thoughts. I'm sure you feel the same. A piece of my heart sits with the parents of those beautiful children. I pray that in time, they will find peace. I pray that their loss will facilitate peace.
Part of my personal introspection this week will focus on peace — how I can sow the seeds of peace in my daily life, through my words and actions. We may not be able to impact the violence and hatred around us, but we can be reflections of the peace we long for in the world. In the spirit of peace, I would like to share this with you . . .
AMAZING PEACE by Maya Angelou
In our joy, we think we hear a whisper.
At first it is too soft. Then only half heard.
We listen carefully as it gathers strength.
We hear a sweetness.
The word is Peace.
It is loud now.
Louder than the explosion of bombs.
We tremble at the sound.
We are thrilled by its presence.
It is what we have hungered for.
Not just the absence of war. But true Peace.
A harmony of spirit, and comfort of courtesies.
Security for our beloveds and their beloveds.
We, Angels and Mortals, Believers and Nonbelievers,
Look heavenward and speak the word aloud.
Peace. We look at each other, then into ourselves,
And we say without shyness or apology or hesitation:
Peace, My Brother.
Peace, My Sister.
Peace, My Soul.
Wishing each of you amazing peace this Christmas and throughout the coming year. Thank you for sharing your lives with me.
