Wage peace. Happy New Year.

May the whole world enjoy
good health,
long life,
prosperity,
happiness and peace.

***

When you need practical ideas to help those you meet on the way:

Wage peace with your breath

Breathe in firemen and rubble,
breathe out whole buildings and flocks of red wing blackbirds.

Breathe in terrorists
and breathe out sleeping children and freshly mown fields.

Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees.

Breathe in the fallen and breathe out lifelong friendships intact.

Wage peace with your listening: hearing sirens, pray loud.

Remember your tools: flower seeds, clothes pins, clean rivers.

Make soup.

Play music, memorize the words for thank you in three languages.

Think of chaos as dancing raspberries,
imagine grief
as the outbreath of beauty
or the gesture of fish.

Wage peace.

Never has the world seemed so fresh and precious:

Have a cup of tea and rejoice.

Act as if armistice has already arrived.
Celebrate today.

wage peace - judyth hill - september 12, 2001

***

If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.
Chinese philosopher - lao-tse - 6th century bce

***

When you sleep well in your bed and cry for the souls who died in terror:


Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousands winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there. I did not die.

Mary Elizabeth Frye – 1932

***

When you need words of awareness and resolve:


Life is short and we have not too much time
for gladdening the hearts of those
who are traveling the dark way with us.
Oh, be swift to love! Make haste to be kind.
Henry Frederic Amiel – 1885

May your God, your Higher Spirit, your innateness... Lead you on a safe and worthwhile journey this year.

Blessings and Peace to you for your wonderful post.

In these uncertain and sad times, I thought the idea of 'waging peace' was quite a concept. Would be lovely if it caught on.

Mind if I add one? This is one I read somewhere years ago, and have (hopefully) taught my kids.

"It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

Happy new year.

Happy New Year, all.