The Light in the Dark Of Winter

Hello!

You’re cruising into the last week of January! High 5 to you!

January is traditionally a dark month just because of where it sits in the calendar. The hard crash after the holiday hustle and bustle and the coldest and shortest days of the year are here. Combine that with the pressure of the resolutions of “giving up” or “adopting” some seemingly insurmountable habit or task makes it seem like there’s 48 hours in a day.

And this year, l do want to acknowledge we’ve witnessed some pretty dark moments of humanity, here at home and abroad, these last few weeks. Feelings of sadness, disbelief and a very different type of anxiety and uncertainty are more prevalent than ever before. Ideally, you let what you’re feeling take its course without trying to suppress, redirect or minimize it. Let it flow through you in whatever way it needs to so you can release it.

Yet, it seems impossible as heartache and negativity literally bombard us every few hours without a break. Just as we think we’re getting to the light at the end of the tunnel, there’s another dump of dirty deeds diminishing a spark of hope. And closing off our heart seems like the best thing to do.

So while I don’t want to, in any way, minimize the severity of current events, I’d like to offer a piece of news that shines a light and maybe can restore some hope and harmony.

It’s Day 92 of the Walk for Peace started by the Buddhist monks from Ft. Worth, TX. They’re walking 2,300 miles through the southeastern US and plan to arrive in D.C. on Feb. 12th. They’re on the road every day, regardless of the weather (yes, they’re walking through the current snow & ice storm back East), to inspire compassion, mutual respect and understanding among everyone they meet. Buddhists believe that peace and love do live at the core of everyone. The ripple effect of showing kindness and affection is infinite and goes beyond the boundaries of faith, culture and background. It’s what unites us and makes us all interconnected.

The monks and their dog have been warmly welcomed with amazing generosity wherever they have been. When their security car was in an accident a few months ago, someone donated their personal car so they had transportation for the rest of the trip. Others chipped into pay for gas and an oil change.

Here are some quotes from an article on the monk’s experiences:

"From near and far, in person and in spirit, we have felt you walking beside us," the post continued. "When we began this journey, we never imagined this. We couldn't have dreamed of the overwhelming love and support that would meet us along the way. It has been unexpected, humbling, more than we ever thought possible."

"This journey began with hope, but you have given us something greater: the lived experience of human kindness, the proof that when people come together with shared intention, extraordinary things become possible," the post reads.

So while the news and media will give this incredible journey far less air time and conversation than it deserves, I’m allowing myself to stay in this light a lot longer than the alternative.

What could happen if we each keep our hearts our open and looking for the good stories out there? There’s got to be more, right? After all, the laws of physics say, for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction. So that means, there’s so many amazing things happening out there we have no idea about. Perhaps, if we can’t find them, maybe we can create them and help to restore some harmony back in the world one small act of kindness at a time.

Walk for Peace blog if you want to read about their journey.

Blessings!