Our Interconnected World

I arrive at the end of this year with a mixture of emotion:

Feelings of sadness for the ongoing wars in Ukraine, Israel and Hamas, and the incredible loss of life throughout the world due to armed conflicts that do not make the headlines.

Concern and compassion rise for an estimated 117 million people who have been displaced from their homes due to war.

Joy rises for new life born to friends and family.

Grief is at home for the loss of life in my sister-in-law and my aunt and for all who have lost loved ones this year.

Pride in accomplishment for compiling a book of art and poetry with the desire to share with others.

Wonder at thousands marching from South and Central America to demonstrate their need for support for their families, jobs, and health.

Delight in the love shared with family and friends that feeds my soul.

Relief and gratitude that my husband recovered so well after a mild stroke with care from those on his medical team.

Gratitude for life lived, for choices made, for all that is learned in doing.

Curiosity and openness for what lies ahead in the unknown.

May we, in our varied emotions, remember kindness to ourselves and to each other. As life moves fast and hard, may we take the time to breathe and center, see ourselves in other, see ourselves in nature, humanity, the planet, and the universe. We are all one, together, may our hearts open.  

Blessings in this New Year, 2024.

“The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace.”

Carlos Santana

“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.”

Dalai Lama

“We live in an interconnected world, in an interconnected time, and we need holistic solutions. We have a crisis of inequaility, and we need climate solutions that solve that crisis.”

Naomi Klein