Peace, love and winning the war…

11 November 1918 : World War I ends

 

At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Great War ends. At 5 a.m. that morning, Germany, bereft of manpower and supplies and faced with imminent invasion, signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car outside Compiégne, France.  For more on this day in history…

 

My most poignant reflection of those who fought, and died, for my freedom was when we took our kids to Normandy, France. We visited the shores where the invasion occurred. Our Son, Joe, reenacted, for me, what he understood to have occurred. Although I imagined, minutely, how it might have been nothing prepared me for the sea of crosses marking those who lost their lives fighting. Albeit a finely manicured and beautiful vista, it gave me chills, thanks to all who fought and for the families who sacrificed their loved ones.

 

 

 

Never knowing anyone close to me who fought in a war, I’m not the person to speak of war on this day.

In USA , November 11^th is celebrated as Veterans Day, in Canada, it’s Remembrance Day.

 

My high school chum, Ron, put it wonderfully:

 

The Day of Remembrance is such a humbling time of year, to reflect on those many men and women who stepped forward, so that those of us here today could live a life that is so cherished. This reverence carries our humanity into one of its warmest lights. To be deeply thankful for a moment in time is but the simplest of things we can offer, but to do it collectively on this 11th day of the 11th month is truly a significant sacrament. Blessed are we who carry forward this day of remembrance each year… Lest we forget…

Thanks, Ron!

 

 

There is so much to say about freedom and I often ponder the meaning of personal freedom. So many of us are blessed to be able to:

 ❤  Live where we choose.

  ❤  Eat and drink where and what we choose.

   ❤  Hang out with anyone and everyone we choose.

  ❤  Say what we choose to whomever we choose whenever we choose  

  ❤  And so much more…

Sometimes, it feels like our personal freedom is on steroids. Yes, you can have your say but do you have to say it? Indeed, you can devour that sugary, syrupy filled with goo thing, but why would you do that to your body? We can share negative thoughts, yell at others, state our opinions on blogs and YouTube and all sorts of social media avenues and often it’s free.

My question today; what are we doing to our personal and collective psyche? Today we are fighting a different war, I believe. It’s all about health and health care and personal care.

In the United States and Canada health care is beyond expensive! Even those who have coverage often have to wait… too long, to get diagnosed and/or treated. I’ve heard folks state that it’s not health care at all, its sick care. If it were truly health care we’d hear;

 

  ❤   More about treating ourselves and others with tenderness and love.

  ❤  We’d be encouraged to eat smaller portions

  ❤  We’d enjoy eating more greens, we’d give up sugar and drink less alcohol.

  ❤  Exercise would be celebrated.

  ❤  AND genetically modified food would be admonished.

 

I’m no saint and I try to be better… I’m so far from perfect on all of this! I love meditating yet I make so many other things more important. Exercise energizes me but, often, I would rather work, or write or read or visit or drink wine, or, or, or! Eating well; I actually do have dialed in, mostly because if I don’t my body hurts and nothing tastes as good as feeling good feels.

 

I bring this all up because I wonder if our personal freedom is the cause of our bodies failing us?

 

Some say that negative, fear, guilt and anger thoughts cause cancer and other fatal diseases.  Peace out Baby!

 

 

Guilt is the emotion I battle. I take on guilt that I said something wrong, I wasn’t understood or that I hurt someone’s feelings. I should on myself quite a bit! Blessedly, my honey reminds me that guilt is not serving my peace nor my health and talks me down. Usually, he makes me laugh.

 

 

 

Laughing is so good!

 

 

I’m told that New York city has banned the ‘Big Gulp’. Believe me, I hate being told what to do! At first I was conflicted… another law!?! Then I thought about it and I supposed, the law was created because its mostly children who drink those buckets of liquid sugar and it is the adults job to protect them. The fact that a law was even considered is absurd, but how much sugar/poison can one put in our body before it fights back? Something had to be done. Oh, there’s so much to say about that…

 

 

I believe, if not everyone, most people are fighting personal battles. Many of us, and I know far too many over the last two years, have lost friends and family to disease. 

 

Is it destiny? Some folks have a family history of disease, what’s that about? As usual, I have no answers just more and more questions.

 

This missive is going down a road I hadn’t intended, what I really wanted to say is:

 

Be kind whenever possible AND it’s always possible.

Dalai Lama

 

 

To me this is the easiest and simplest of personal choices.

 

 

 

I have lots of thoughts and many ideas and TRULY, I don’t know. I do believe that these diseases, in many ways, are humbling us.

 

A couple of weeks ago we learned a friend of ours has invasive breast cancer. Due to past circumstances, she needed help to raise funds for the surgery and our community jumped in to help.

 

THAT HUMBLES ME! My favourite thing is community and when I’m enveloped in a community that cares about those within it, I’m moved to emotion. Friends have rallied around Kathy. I’m emotional!

 

 

The fundraising event was tonight in a bar filled with enthusiastic, caring people bursting with LOVE and HOPE! I left the event tonight, before all funds were tallied, and it looks like we raised what Kathy needs.

 

 

THANKS to all who donated time, facilities, gifts, money and LOVE.

 

Kathy’s surgery is on Tuesday, please send positive thoughts and prayer her way!

 

 

 

For more on Kathy, tap here.

 

Tonight I know, Kathy felt this:

 

 

Inspire someone today!

Not feeling it? Be Kind. Be Generous. BE LOVE!