The Power of Love

  I don't watch the news. I took a break from it a few years ago and never went back. I always manage to find out about anything big, and it saves me from the constant barrage of negative political spin, violent images and mind numbing celebrity gossip. But some news is good to know, or interesting to observe, so I do listen around the water cooler and look on-line to see what people are talking about.
 As I read new posts on Facebook, the two big events that captured everyone's attention this week were the royal wedding and the tornado in Alabama. I thought it funny that Americans were so captivated by an English wedding. I found it heartbreaking that so many families were dealing with such loss in Alabama. My knee jerk reaction was to think "How ridiculous to follow a stupid wedding when so many people are hurting right here at home." but than I quieted my inner critic and just tried to understand it. I found myself smiling often as I read people's Oohs and Ahhhs and I couldn't help but be happily hopeful for this young couple. And than I realized that these two events, while outwardly so different, had something very much in common; the power of love to move people.
 After the initial shock fear and shock wore off, I saw people from all over the country rally to the aid of people they didn't know in Alabama. Donations were being gathered, food, clothing, diapers and dog food were being collected; in every story I saw love in action. It was much bigger than any tornado could ever hope to be.
 And then there was the wedding. Costumes and carriages, funny hats and beautiful dresses. I had to laugh. Why on earth was this so interesting to us? The simple answer was love. We love love. Even the most sceptical among us I think secretly hoped that the love we have or hope for could be as grand as this Royal wedding suggested Kate and William's love must be. The common denominator of these two very different events was our need to give love and our hope to feel the love of another.
 Love. Love. Love. At the end of the day, it's really the only thing that matters. Let's remember that we don't have to wait for someone else's wedding to make us hopeful, and we can give to those who need even in the absence of news worthy tragedy. Who knows? Maybe I'll meet my own prince while volunteering at my city's next food drive.

Life Changing Books

 I have a call out to all authors, writers and want to be writers to guest blog. I'll be posting these blogs as the weeks go on. The subject will be books that have personally inspired the writer, why it inspired them and how. I hope everyone with check in and look for new reading material and share your own experience with the books written about if you've already read it. I will also be posting my thoughts about some of the Balboa titles I have read and encourage you to add them to your collection.
 If you're interesting in guest blogging on this topic shoot me an email or message on Facebook.


 Until then, have an inspirational week!

Spiritual Nourishment

  Anyone who visits my facebook page will notice I post a lot about vegetarianism, the quality of our food and animal abuse. I have always been aware of the cost of my choices, but I've also been guilty of "forgetting" what I know when knowing it was inconvenient. The more awake I become, the more I am becoming unable to separate myself from my fellow beings. I feel instinctively that what I do to others I also do to myself.
 It's sometimes hard to make changes in things like what I put in my mouth. For me, and I think for most of us, food is intricately tied to emotions, memories and comfort. We think more about how food makes us feel than were it comes from. We've also become accustomed to having food fast. When we do make a trip to the grocery store, we see lots of perfect looking food and are bombarded by pictures of happy animals on idyllic farms. The food industry has made it easy, and has wanted us, to fool ourselves. They have even managed to have laws enacted to keep the truth from us and to punish people who try to educate us to what our diets are doing to food industry workers, animals, the earth and our health. Our cheap food is extracting a very heavy price on our humanity.
  I know not everyone will feel the need to adopt a vegan lifestyle. I'm not asking anyone to do what they don't feel impassioned to do. What I would like is for us all to make sure our nourishment actually nourishes us; not only physically, but spiritually. Know what you are putting in your body. Make conscious choices. Support local, organic food producers. If you are an animal lover, make sure you aren't unknowingly contributing to their pain and suffering. If you haven't seen it, watch 'Food, Inc.'  and let your wallet speak your conscious.  And don't forget to give thanks.

(I'd like to add that my stance was softened a bit by spending a little time Thursday night with someone who grew up on a small farm and gave me a bit of perspective on the difference between that reality and factory farming. It's amazing how a chance encounter can help you keep perspective. A week ago I would have left no room for meat eating at all.)