Peace – Page 2 – 2 GALS 4 PEACE

Springing In

As we spring ahead this week, we find that sometimes it is refreshing to get back to basics. In today’s world, we are constantly sensing our environment. The first question in life that we tend to ask ourselves seems to be “Am I safe?” Other questions follow such as, “Am I healthy and happy?” Nestled between winter and summer, Spring is an opportunity for renewal and a time to answer those questions. It’s a time to think things through and to shake off the winter. It’s a perfect time to look at our relationships with people and with the earth. Author Harville Hendrix has stated that, “We are born in relationship. We are wounded in relationship. And we are healed…

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March 11, 2023

Peace

Until The Paperwork Is Done…

Okay, we think that it is time that we all check our closets, file cabinets, attics, basements, and garages. If you have lived anywhere near Washington, DC, or where Presidents or VP’s may have vacationed, or if you live anywhere in the US, you need to be on the alert. You, too, may be holding secret or confidential documents in your possession. And you, too, could be the subject of investigation by the Justice Department, FBI, or the National Archives. We know that you have paperwork in your drawers that has not been touched in years. Do they relate back to the Clinton or Bush years? Only you would know. Is that receipt from the dry cleaner from 1986 confidential?…

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January 29, 2023

Peace

Take a Penny…

This time of year, we tend to think of kindness and gratitude. It is an apropos time to remember those who are trailblazers for kindness and those kindhearted torch bearers around us that may go unnoticed. Like a neighbor who stopped by to check-in on you when you were not feeling well. Or, the driver who let you in in traffic and smiled as they did. The person who found something that you lost and returned it to you. The friend who sent you a birthday card that made you cry (in a good way). Another friend who sent you a card for no reason that made you cry – again! There are those little acts of kindness that can…

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December 18, 2022

Peace

Gadding Around

St. Elizabeths Hospital opened in 1855 under the name of Government Hospital for the Insane. It was the first federally operated psychiatric hospital in the US. Although known for its controversial treatment of patients during the 1940’s and 50’s, there were those Nurses who worked there tirelessly. With little treatment options or notorious ones, many Nurses endured the trauma experienced by their psychiatric patients and displayed endless compassion for them. Those Nurses were grateful to be a part of the healing process. It is healthy to take time to admire someone else. Someone that has achieved by their hard work and many accomplishments. It is important to recognize someone that has taken part in something greater than themselves to achieve…

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November 30, 2022

Peace

Bracing For Impact

Similar to when the pilot tells its passengers to “brace for impact,” we held on waiting for a flood of some sort on November 8th. Pundits’ cries of a red tide or a blue bath – who would have known the real outcome? Yes, Florida got painted blood red but the rest of the country fared well in blue. The results in the “M” states of Maine, Maryland, and Michigan were outstanding! The right to choose took a stand and won even in the South. The people used their voices and voted their intentions. And, they won on many issues and in many places. Does this indicate that the country is moving on? Moving on from the rhetoric of hate?…

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November 13, 2022

Peace

Bruised But Not Broken

There is an episode of the TV show, The Walton’s, when a zealous young writer, John Boy, in May of 1937 drives from Virginia to New Jersey to see the Hindenburg dock. His intent was to report the event back home. His enthusiasm quickly fades as he watches the horror of the airship exploding and going up in flames right before his eyes. Once jubilant, he returns home broken and in shock. He struggled to write about the event for his emotions overcame him. This is the nature of a disaster. Hurricane Ian is an experience that many lived through and an event that has taken homes, neighborhoods, towns, livelihoods, and lives. We are so saddened by the events resulting…

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October 5, 2022

Peace

On the Road

We just returned from a retreat to the mountains of North Carolina. Escapes like these can be eye opening and enrich our lives. We remember how easy it was years ago hopping into a car and taking off to the beach or mountains for a few days. Times, as they do, have changed. Bigger cars, more stuff to pack, busier roads, and a lot of people traveling everywhere. We found that highway driving today is a little crazy. Anyone that has taken a road trip lately returns with stories of near misses or just plain rude or risky drivers. Motorcycles passing us on mountain hairpin turns was like being in a circus where at points you hold your breath and…

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July 23, 2022

Peace

Navigating a Troubled World

Sometimes it is hard to know what to write about. Mass shootings fill our hearts with pain. There are no words for the grief and trauma we all share. The struggle with the economy, the question of how to protect the children and the world in general can leave us speechless. The Supreme Court, once a respected institution, is now the enemy of gun control, clean air, women’s rights, and the right to live free without prejudice. This country is certainly on an interesting path. Following the recent Supreme Court ruling on abortion, we wanted to convey to women that they still have choices and that thinking and planning ahead of time is still the greatest form of birth control.…

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July 8, 2022

Peace

Summertime

To be honest, we know that the last few blog writings have been heavy, reflecting what is happening in the world today. Some days feel like a runaway train or a roller coaster. We think it may be time to take a healthy break and center on something a bit different. We are sure that we all remember George Gershwin’s soulful song, Summertime, from 1934 Porgy and Bess. The Janice Joplin version can plunge you right into summer and we bet it is best sung in a convertible or in an outdoor shower. “Summertime and the livin’ is easy….” Summer is jammed into four months starting June 22nd and all the way into September. June, named after Roman goddess Juno,…

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June 17, 2022

Peace

Finding Hope

People have been asking us what kind of world we think we are living in today. We find it almost impossible to answer that question. To answer this question, we believe we must first ask what have we become as a society. Looking back years ago to WW2, the country sacrificed countless lives and during that time enjoyed fewer comforts. By comparison with today, those were lean times. Those who survived felt that the time following WW2 was a time for celebration and plenty. As the war ended, television became a part of most households in the late 1940’s and early 50’s. The folks they invited into their homes via their TV’s were respectable and respected. The shows were designed…

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June 10, 2022

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