Walking away is not an option... dialogue must prevail.

"A good listener tries to understand what the other person is saying. In the end he may disagree sharply, but because he disagrees, he wants to know exactly what it is he is disagreeing with."
- Kenneth A. Wells

"I do not want the peace that passeth understanding. I want the understanding which bringeth peace."
- Helen Keller

Sunday, October 18, 2009

everyday peace










"...Pick me up, oh, from the bottom
Up to the top, love, everyday
Pay no mind to taunts or advances
I take my chances on everyday..."


Maybe it's the mommy in me...

But I wish I could hug the world and make it better. It works when a child scrapes her knee. It helps when we sit vigil by a loved one. Human contact, a touch... it brings warmth and peace.


"A hug is like a boomerang – you get it back right away."
~Bil Keane


I used to work with a man who liked to hug. He was a part of the maintenance department in a petrochemical plant. He never forced a hug on anyone, but he had grown men coming up to him in the morning for a hug. I saw it.
Some of them would tease when someone asked for a hug, the kind of teasing you see in "macho" environments. But in their hearts, I'm pretty sure they wished they could have a hug too.
Whenever he would cross my path, I asked for mine. It always made my day better.


"Hugging closes the door to hate."
~ Tony Davis


I wish people would stop thinking the worst of each other. That may very well be our biggest obstacle to Peace. We forget that humans are fallible far too easily. Maybe it's because it reminds us that we too can fail, can falter.

I'm trying to remain positive, hopefully it'll become a permanent frame of mind. I'm trying to look for the good in people... in the world.
I'm not being naive, mind you. But maybe if we nurture the good, we'll be able to get rid of the bad... choke it like an unwanted weed. Don't feed it, don't give it room to grow.

I'm trying to keep my heart from going into hateful mode. Sometimes I manage pretty well, every once in a while, I regress..

I falter...

But I hope someone will see the good in me and...



bring up...
up to the top...
love...
everyday.



Please remember to join us during BlogBlast for Peace on November 5th. If you need help with your globe, just ask in the comment section or via e-mail. I’ll see to it a Peace Globe Worker Bee gives you a helping hand… and a hug.


"I will not play tug o' war.
I'd rather play hug o' war.
Where everyone hugs instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles and rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
and everyone grins,
and everyone cuddles,
and everyone wins."

~ Shel Silverstein


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7 comments:

Travis Erwin said...

What great sentiments. Nice post.

Travis Cody said...

We all make mistakes. We all get angry. We all say harsh things to one another. Sometimes we come to blows, be they physical or mental.

But we all have the capacity to forgive those mis-steps. We do this, sometimes without thinking, with the people we know and love. Or if the hurt is big, we might have to work a little harder to get past it and forgive. But we try.

Imagine if we were that ready to work at forgiving these mis-steps in the people we don't know.

Mike Golch said...

what a great posting.I Especially liked the thing about hugs!

Charles Gramlich said...

I hate that sometimes I find it hard to think the best of people. I have to fight my own cynicism.

Anndi said...

Travis Erwin, thanks. I really do believe we can make a big difference in people's lives with hugs.

Travis, I'm trying to work on not thinking the worst in people. It's very hurtful when it happens... If we can see the good in people, forgiveness is far easier.

Mike, I'm all about the hugs.

Charles, I find it hard as well... but I'm trying.

Desert Songbird said...

I have a friend at church who gives THE BEST hugs in all the world. I swear it to you. She is a world class hugger.

Whenever I see her, she makes my day.

Ron said...

What a gorgeous post!

LOVED the story of the man you worked with who hugged. He sounds like lightworker.

What you shared here is very true...

We forget that humans are fallible far too easily. Maybe it's because it reminds us that we too can fail, can falter.

This is something I needed to here, as I can be very judgemental at times, which only shows me the judgement of myself.

Thanks my friend!

X ya!

Peace!