The Right to Vote

Women Working Toward Freedom 

In August of 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified giving women the right to cast a vote in elections. We tend to think of this as something that “just happened”, with men suddenly deciding to let the little ladies have what they want. Not so. It took nearly 70 years of hard work to win the right to vote. It was not given; they took it. At the time, the country was slipping into an economic depression, a global pandemic had claimed 600,000 lives in the U.S., racial unrest was boiling up all over the country, the KKK had come out of hiding, immigration was a contentious issue, and a nasty presidential race was underway with one candidate having the divisive slogan, America First. Sound familiar?? That was 100 years ago, and against all odds the women persisted and won the vote. There is a lot more to this story, and it’s all fascinating! But for now, remember that it was not an easy fight with lovely ladies dressed in white sweetly asking to vote. It was a fight, it wasn’t an easy one, and they never backed down. The difference in then and now (as I see it), is that we have many more men on our side than they did then. Thank you...

“A feasible as well as rational means of improvement at present is the elevation of society in general and the achievement of a nobler race for legislation — a race having higher aims and motives.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 63:23

Braiding Sweetgrass

I'm reading a beautiful book: "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants" by Robin Wall Kimmerer. 

Here are a few quotes which I love.

“Strawberries first shaped my view of a world full of gifts simply scattered at your feet. A gift comes to you through no action of your own, free, having moved toward you without your beckoning. It is not a reward; you cannot earn it, or call it to you, or even deserve it. And yet it appears. Your only role is to be open-eyed and present.”

“The Honorable Harvest asks us to give back, in reciprocity, for what we have been given. Reciprocity helps resolve the moral tension of taking a life by giving in return something of value that sustains the ones who sustain us. One of our responsibilities as human people is to find ways to enter into reciprocity with the more-than-human world. We can do it through gratitude, through ceremony, through land stewardship, science, art, and in everyday acts of practical reverence.”

“until we can grieve for our planet we cannot love it—grieving is a sign of spiritual health. But it is not enough to weep for our lost landscapes; we have to put our hands in the earth to make ourselves whole again. Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”

“We perpetrate the illusion that the things we consume have just fallen off the back of Santa’s sleigh, not been ripped from the earth. The illusion enables us to imagine that the only choices we have are between brands.”

“In a garden, food arises from partnership. If I don't pick rocks and pull weeds, I'm not fulfilling my end of the bargain. I can do these thing with my handy opposable thumb and capacity to use tools, to shovel manure. But I can no more create a tomato or embroider a trellis in beans than I can turn lead into gold. That is the plants' responsibility and their gift: animating the inanimate. Now there is a gift.”

“There are some aches witchhazel can’t assuage. For those, we need each other.”

The World in Our Backyard

quote from Auguries of Innocence
by William Blake

Most of the world is familiar with Rick Steves, because he has been everywhere and taken us with him, via his travel show. With the restrictions going places, he has had to rethink his life’s purpose, and he’s come up with some wisdom we can all take to heart. He has an article in the latest Atlantic, where he talks about discovering his own backyard. He is visiting places close to home, noticing small things he’s never paid attention to, and found a world he knew nothing about in cooking! I hope we’re discovering things about ourselves and our world. Sitting and watching insects, birds, the stars — it’s magical! Sometimes I feel like Horton [who] Hears a Who, being absolutely certain there’s a whole world on a speck of dust. Life is good...

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/08/how-we-travel-when-we-cant/614800/

The Same -- Here, There, and Everywhere

Stock photo - Shangri-La Resort, Pakistan

Bob Woodruff is a journalist who was a war correspondent. During that time, he was severely injured while covering the conflict in Iraq. He and his son now have a show called “Rogue Trip”. They travel to war-torn areas and show us the beauty and wonder of those lands. We watched one about Pakistan tonight and were totally blown away by the people and beauty of the land. They were welcomed by residents who are peaceful and loving, wanting to show everyone that they are not warlike and terroristic. One of the places they visited was the inspiration for the fictional Shangri-la. And it seems most of the people in the mountains of Pakistan are healthy and happy, living simply and abundantly. I was once again reminded of how similar we are, no matter where we live. While we hear about turmoil, right next door is beauty and peace. I am holding to the fact that the majority of people are honest, kind, and compassionate. Let’s notice goodness today and acknowledge it in others whenever possible!

"Unselfish ambition, noble life-motives, and purity -- these constituents of thought, mingling, constitute individually and collectively true happiness, strength, and permanence." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 58

Jai Guru Deva, om

A beautiful song for a beautiful Sunday :)

https://youtu.be/jLfIkb9cpAg

The Threshold of Your Own Mind

“No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge.
The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness.
If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.”
― Khalil Gibran, The Prophet

Do Better

The last of the Four Agreements is: Do Your Best. For years, I was comforted by thinking that everyone was doing the best that they could. This "best" may not have been what I thought was best, but it was the best they could do at their stage of development. I managed to think that even someone like Hitler thought he was doing a good thing. I truly believed that everyone was working towards being the best that they could be, truly wanting to better humanity and their environment, and they were simply ignorant of how to do those things. Now I've come to think that is not so. Many people are willfully ignorant and seem to revel in it. They witness pain and suffering and find selfish ways to blame the sufferer. They turn their back on animals in pain, giving shadowy excuses for their behavior. Is this the best that they can do? If I could find some reason for their lack of empathy, perhaps I'd still think they were doing the best that they can. But it seems too many people are ruled by a love of money and power; wanting no more than fame and flattery. My heart has been broken by everyone from Bill Clinton to Bill Cosby. We're all just tired. But we must continue to strive to do better. Namaste...

"The best sermon ever preached is Truth practiced and demonstrated..." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 201-1