Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Thanksgiving & Afghanistan

This Thanksgiving was a big one for me and my family. Now I do not usually blog about my family, but this time is an exception.




My family was all together for the feast! This is the first time in a number of years that my family has been together for the occasion.



My son is vegan; I am vegetarian and my husband and daughter are carnivores. For whatever reason, probably a number of reasons, my daughter had been at odds with my son for some time. She has lived with my husband and me. My son has lived on his own. We have been a dysfunctional family that included mental and emotional problems. Since I am not a great cook and because of our lifestyle, my husband, daughter and I usually ate out--Chinese-- for Thanksgiving.



I realize I am exposing the family’s dirty laundry, but there is a reason.

This year my daughter had a change of heart and instigated a family feast. My son now has a partner and an infant son. She asked my son and his partner to do the cooking at our new abode. They graciously prepared and cooked for us all. Even though it was on Friday, because of my son’s job, it was quite a day--a very good and fulfilling one (in more ways than one).

Now for the reason of my writing:

I am quite disheartened by President Obama’s war surge in Afghanistan.

I have not lived through an actual war, but I have lived through war. For years, there has been tension and conflict in my family. I felt inconsistent in my work for peace in the world with my life at home. To have experienced some sort of reconciliation in my family has been gratifying. I do not know how long it will last, but I am grateful for the present.

I firmly do not believe that war or more war is the way to peace.

Somehow folks on this planet have got to learn to live together. Gandhi said that violence begets violence and he quoted St. Paul in saying that we reap what we sow. I believe this is so.

I certainly do not have all the answers. I do believe that the needs of the people of Afghanistan needed to be tended to and that more war is not one of them.

I sometimes think that people also have to find their own way through the maze and that we just need to give them the support they need to get through it.

Sometimes we wait in support. The Taoists speak of wu wei, creative action of inaction, and there is truth to that and in that.

I am also a firm believe in the power of prayer. I know that I have profited from the prayer of others and that my own prayer has been of value

I have been using the little prayer of the World Peace Prayer Society and variations thereof: May Peace Prevail On Earth! You can read about that prayer and its use here.

I pray such things as,” May Peace Prevail in My Family,” “May Peace Prevail in Afghanistan,” and “May Peace Prevail in the Domestic and Foreign Policies of the United States.” I encourage people to try it ad use it.

I also think about Robert Fulghum’s writing, All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten. He included:


Share everything.


Play fair.


Don't hit people.


Put things back where you found them.


Clean up your own mess.


Don't take things that aren't yours.


Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.


Maybe the United States can learn some lessons.

You can read more from Fulghum’s writing here.

1 comment:

  1. Anne,

    I love the connections you make between peacemaking in the world and peacemaing in the family. How affirming!

    Thank you for your words,
    Karen

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