You are the gift at Christmas
On christmas day I sent this to friends and the poem in the next posting to inspire an awareness that you are indeed the gift this christmas. My note as follows…
This is circulated to all the people who have touched my life. For me the world is my family even those who have given me a hard time, I see them as equally valued. We are here to love and value every person. Sometimes we are challenged but I think it is worth trying. I made so many mistakes in my life but I feel all of it is misunderstanding. Peace is a work in progress, you never stop working on yourself, as you change the world changes is my feeling.
I have returned from 6 months of travelling the world, across 20 countries. I was particularly interested in the reality of the environmental situation, the extent of globalisation and my ability to connect with all people as a clown evoking our shared humanity. Needless to say, we are all same same but different. I received endless kindness and compassion and not one thing went wrong. It has been the most wonderful trip of my life and I will be writing two books in 2011 as I kept an extensive blog depicting every day. The highlights for me included sitting in Gandhi’s room next to his spinning wheel and holding his staff talking to a Gandhian about my REAL HOPES for peace education (my program). I was at the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad. Another was talking about Gandhi and the occupation of Kashmir at a Gandhian University in Ahmedabad in front of 500 students all with spinning wheels. I even saw a gentleman who had known Gandhi, giving a speech. Other highlights were visiting the Pyramids (Egypt), Machupiccu Inca village (Peru), seeing my former husband in England, teaching peace to 500 children in Arequipa (Peru), teaching peace in Costa Rica to children on the International Day of Peace, making good friends in Bolivia and visiting the pyramid at Chichen Itza in Mexico, I was overwhelmed with the energy there, it is a Mayan pyramid, many mysteries there to discover. I was overwhelmed by the kindness of people and their generosity in giving me a place to stay for free and food to eat, some went to a lot of trouble to take me around to show me their city, it was a form of cultural exchange based on trust (couch surfing). There is no expectation of return. Yet I can choose to host them if they come here. One person moved out of his one bedroom flat in Santiago to let me stay there, I was quite sick at the time, so it felt like a god send. To me this is what world peace looks and feels like. I believe we have peace in the world but we often don’t see it for all the drama in the media and our own busyness. The real world is actually a really beautiful place full of wonder and worth preserving. That is what I learned.
I also want to share with you something my friend wrote to me today, describing her her son’s excitement. She said ‘He did not stop talking, chatting away about Santa and Christmas, looking at each house commenting on “Those people celebrate Christmas, these people don’t celebrate Christmas” Commenting on the decorations on people’s houses. And just before we arrived at the house we were in search of, he bent over to pick a ‘fluffy’ weed, don’t recall what they are called and he blew on it. And I said “Make a Wish”. And he said in all his six years of wisdom: “I wish that all the people in the world were happy”.
I do too, children want this, perhaps we can make a personal change to bring joy into this world and make it real. I made this wish when I was in New Delhi about to go to Gandhi’s ashram. I was taken to a church, I lit the candle and closed my eyes and blew it for world peace. I believe in it with all my heart. I believe it will come in time.
My pledge this year is to speak the truth more, to really work on myself and look into beliefs where I have not been honest to myself. Sometimes we can’t see ourselves. I know Gandhi was right about truth and it does set you free. Aung Sang Suu Kyi also stated this recently after her release. I feel most misunderstandings arise as we are not wanting to face truth or believe we are right without question, I feel 2011 is going to be a year of facing up to the past for everyone. I feel the truth is like water and it clears you. It is ok to get things wrong, it is the intention for truth that I feel is important. The world is on an edge and in my travels everyone is worried about where we are going. Most have definitely seen changes environmentally. People are hoping something positive will happen to change the course of events. I believe you have to start with yourself first, then the world can change. The microcosm is the macrocosm.
Here is my gift to you, a poem I felt inspired to write to you.
Peace and happiness all ways,