The Furious Spinner

We don't always know what will make a difference in a life. We don't know what will save people, what will move them, what will make their day. I've told you before that like Mother Jones, I don't see myself as a humanitarian, I'm a hellraiser. When I was younger—a teenager, mind you—I thought I was put on this Earth to love. Pretty cornball, eh? Yet I look back at that loving girl with such fondness, and sometimes people can save me, move me, make my day with a smile, a wave, a word. The other day the car ahead of me on the bridge paid my toll.

I've gotten lots of letters about "Brave New World." I wasn't even sure I should submit that piece—I didn't want people to think I was whining. People get annoyed sometimes when we express discouragement. But I wrote the piece from my heart and submitted it, and two places picked it up for publication. And I started getting letters. One was so beautiful I've thought about framing it. I am always so impressed and moved by kindness. The letter writer ended his letter by saying, "It is no small thing to be a beauty mark...on the cheek of the Peace Goddess...and on the consciousness of humanity." I am telling you this not to brag about what great letters I get, but to share his message with you. It is no small thing that we do when we breathe and laugh and find joy and create joy and try to do the right thing. To Walk in Beauty Every Day. And when we stumble, to stumble in Beauty. None of us is perfect. Look at me in the grocery the other day swearing at that girl. I stumbled. I didn't walk in Beauty. But I kept going. And I stood still. Standing Still in Beauty.

Elizabeth Young from Santa Rose wrote to tell me about her own "peace garden." She said, "I have a winter solstice party each year, and year before last I decided to do something different. I constructed a 'peace bowl' which consisted of a collection of stones from around the world, along with small items to symbolize our gifts for the world, sand from a Tibetan mandala of infinite compassion, etc. We made a ritual out of filling the bowl and speaking about what we wanted for the planet. We now do this each time we add a new stone. Since then, this bowl has become a peace altar with a statue of Kwan Yin watching over the bowl, candles and flowers, and a corkboard off to the side with pictures of peacemakers and—well, you get the general idea. I work for an international shipping firm, and I'm getting stones from all over now. (In interoffice envelopes, even!) Everybody who hears about the altar has something to contribute. It's brought a nice bit of magic in my life, and I hope your peace garden does the same for you."

What a great idea! If we are surrounded by peace, if we are thinking about peace, maybe we will create Peace. I love that idea. I got the idea for my Peace Garden when Mario and I were driving through Salt Lake City last spring, just days after Bush started the war on Iraq. We saw on the map they had an International Peace Garden. So we drove to what looked like a park on what seemed like the edge of town. In places all over this "garden" countries from all over the world had created peace gardens with grass, flowers, trees, bushes, stones. It was quite moving walking in this place, especially passing by the gardens planted by countries in the Middle East. After my landlord "trimmed" the pine tree by cutting all the branches on the east side of the tree and creating chaos in our backyard (poor little meeces who had their homes under that tree), I created the Kuan Yin Peace Garden. Created Peace in that spot.

I like the idea of growing Peace! Let's all go out and plant Peace everywhere.

Last night I dreamed I was surrounded by dragonflies. I drove through a tunnel that was like the interior of a dragonfly wing. It was beautiful beyond description. In my dream, I enjoyed the joy. I hope you all enjoy the joy today, wherever you can find it.

May You Walk in Beauty, Dance in Beauty, Work in Beauty, Play in Beauty, Make Love in Beauty, Love in Beauty, Sit in Beauty, Eat in Beauty, Be Joyful in Exquisite Heart-Opening Beauty.

Thank you for your beautiful letters. It is no small thing.

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